Crucifixion Perspectives

When remaking the play and also watching other groups perform, it really made me realize how ignorant and probably confused the soldiers were during this time. Some were probably afraid of losing their jobs, so they had to perform this task. Others possibly really did hate Jesus and wanted to see them killed. And others might have really known Jesus was the Savior, but had to follow orders. Watching the remakes of the play gave me different perspectives on the minds of the soldiers. It was interesting to see how some groups displayed them as angry as Jesus, and others displayed them in a state of confusion or distress. However, whatever their reasons were for crucifying Jesus, He still asked His Father to forgive them. That is honestly true love.

The York Play of the Crucifixion

The York Play of the Crucifixion was extremely fun to relate to contemporary culture. I must admit that it was hard to understand the play because of the way it was written, but as my group began to analyze the play I fleas able to relate to it. I noticed that many of us are like the soldiers who crucified Christ. I enjoyed watching everyone's creativeness evolve as the shared their perception of the play within their various groups. One group rapped, two shared a poem, and my group performed a short skit. These presentations showed me how people can be similar yet different at the same time. We all interpreted the play of the crucifixion differently but we all came to the conclusion that this great sacrifice impacted us all greatly.

The York Play of the Cruxifiction

The York Play of the Cruxifiction was extremely fun to rewrite in a contemporary setting. After reading we noticed that the characters really weren't all that bright, but they had so much power. It was easy to make the transition from the idea of power to the song Power by Kanye West. All of our group members were either familiar with or absolutely love the song, so we riding it from the perspective of the play was not hard. Working together and channeling our inner creativity was very rewarding as the ideas that we had flowed so well together. It really boils down to great group members and great chemistry. In the end we had the best presentation. 

The York Play of the Crucifixion

There is something about plays that brings out the creativity in people. Watching our class perform group interpretations of the 14th Century The York Play of the Crucifixion was such a great experience.  From the poetic rewritings of the play, to the rapping Jesus Christ, I believe our class demonstrated the limitless possibilities for creative expression and modern interpretation that is contained within literature.
My group in particular choose to focus on how each member of the human race was represented by the four soldiers in the play, and how our sins individually put Christ on the cross. The York Play of the Crucifixion's message of sacrifice and redemption is one that is far reaching in its power and will continue to inspire readers for centuries more to come.

Personally, any deep discussion or detailed conversation about the cross is uncomfortable and depressing. This project called for a play or a skit where the reenactment of the crucifixion would take place. I did not want to do it. The gravity of Jesus getting crucified always makes me emotional. Someone nailing my Savior to a cross is not something I want to think about, yet sometimes the way I live my life only more firmly fastens Jesus on that cross. The four soldiers from "The York Play of the Crucifixion" are not the only people who nailed Jesus to cross. Although Christ's crucifixion is a sore topic for me, I will not take for granted what this means for me. Redemption.  

The York Play of the Crucifixion

The York Play of the Crucifixion is another perspective on the death of Christ.This story is very different from anything else I've ever read as far as the crucifixion is concerned. By taking the same story and showing it to the audience through the eyes of the four soldiers, changed my outlook. As a Christian, when I think of Jesus dying on the cross, I think of sorrow and sacrifice. It is a sad thing to think about because Christ, a sinless being, died for our sins. However, these soldiers thought otherwise. This man to them was just another criminal. This crucifixion was just another job. There wasn't any sadness or regret, they were simply trying to finish a job. This story really gave a meaning to, "forgive them, for they know not what they do." I enjoyed breaking down this play with my group because I was able to analyze the speech and actions of solider 4. It really helped me to connect with and deeper understand the biblical narrative as well as this play.

-Eryn Peeler

The York Play of the Crucifixion Response poem by alyce

This poem really touched me so in response to this poem I also wrote a response.
In the minds of each soldier
The plans of pain and cruel torture
The heart of Jesus calm and guiltless
Wanted to save and make them sinless

In the mouths of those in command
Beg, barter, a limb, a hand
A group of those to carry the Son
The nail and hammer ready to be one

Their evil plans could not be at loss
For each soldier had a place on the cross
Trying to slickly increase His suffering
So called Saint showed not much morning

Every limb fasten sure not to move
Nails beaten in every grove
Jesus was full of hurt and grief
Asked forgiveness from His Father, sin to cease

They mocked Him for who he was
They beat him without a true cause
They drew lots for His few clothes
Some no repent, just lost souls

By Alyce A. Hendricks

Reading The York of the Crucifixion put the story of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice into an interesting perspective. Although the poem was a bit hard to follow due to its outdated language, it was clear that the soldiers were making Christ’s crucifixion experience more difficult and unpleasant. It was also clear that Jesus was still the same loving and forgiving savior that laid his life down for us. I enjoyed seeing other people use creative means to portray the story in different lights. I especially enjoyed having to use my own creativity to bring the play to life for my classmates.

York Play of the Crucifixion

In yesterdays class several groups gave a contemporary version of the York Play of the Crucifixion. It was very interesting to see the soldiers side of the story. It was as if the soldiers were so caught up in their emotions and feelings that they did not stop to see if the accusations were true. However the group that showed that we crucify Jesus even today illustrated that this mindset the soldiers have it easy to obtain. I pray that I do not crucify Christ through my actions.

-Mitchel Daniel

The York Play of the Crucifixion

The York Play of the Crucifixion depicts the death of Jesus. Our class recreated the play into contemporary culture. Throughout the different reenactments, we see that the soldiers wanted not only to kill our Savior, but humiliate Him.  The hatred and disgust the soldiers had towards Him, made me depressed knowing the way Jesus was treated was inhumane. The soldiers called Him names like Mahound, traitor, and harlot. These words do not illustrate the character of Jesus. After class yesterday, I understand the love Jesus has for us is everlasting. Our Creator was condemned, yet still decided to die for the sins of the world.

-Lorenza Carey 

The York Play of the Crucifixion - A Modern Portrayal

Yesterday's class was a very spiritual experience. I believe that it really put into perspective the message of the play. In the York Play of the Crucifixion, the soldiers try and crucify Jesus in the cruelest way possible. They even go so far as to demean him by calling him a harlot. I remember reading that in the play and thinking to myself, " How disrespectful is that?" When I really think about the hatred that they had for Jesus, I wonder why they were so enraged with this quiet and meek man. He had done nothing. There wasn't even any evidence to substantially convict Jesus as a criminal and furthermore the soldiers were not Jewish so they had no real reason to feel enraged over his claims of being the King of the Jews. The level of hatred that they had was uncalled for. This literary work provided an deeper insight into the minds of the soldiers and of the hatred that they felt. I was really proud of us as a class because I believe that we analyzed the spirit of this play as well as the message and we really made it our own. No longer was it just an old English play that we had to study it became a personal event that we relieved ourselves in history.

4 Acts

This week we read a narrative on the crucifixion. It gave the accounts of the four soldiers that killed Jesus. It gave a different perspective of the death of Jesus. In class we had to find a creative way to display this narrative. It was amazing. One group rapped. It was interesting because they brought intelligence to a genre that is known for its ignorance. Another group did a mixture of poetry and soul music. Another group acted the story out in a contemporary. Class was amazing and it showed the creativity in our class for everyone to be able to depict the same story just in a different light. 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was an interesting story. It highlighted an array of subjects. The story is a tale of a knight that is willing to lay down his own life for the king. A part of the deal he makes with the Green Knight, who threatens the king, is that a year later he must face the Green Knight. He keeps true to his promise and goes to find the Green knight. Before he finds him, he has to go through a series of temptations. Sir Gawain failed the last test, but his life still was spared by the knight.

I feel that the story could have ended better. It had a great lesson to give, but failed to make it leave an impact. It was intense all the way up until the end. I get what the writer was saying, but he could have made it more suspenseful, so that the reader could have gained a deeper perspective from the poem. 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Human Nature

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a Medieval poem written in Middle English sometime around the year 1400.
The text tells the story of Sir Gawain, a knight of the legendary King Arthur's Templar, who is approached one night with a strange challenge; to behead a man who by all appearances is no normal man and if unsuccessful, to seek out that same man and face his own beheading.
There are several themes in the story as it is riddled with symbolism, most specifically carried through the text; the use of the colour green and nature. While critics have  associated the use of the colour green with physical, earthly nature, the use of the colour also alludes to the spiritual nature of human beings. This is further supported with the testing that Sir Gawain faces unbeknownst to him, at the hands of the same strange knight who had challenged him twelve months before. Ultimately any reader who has the pleasure of reading this text, is faced with  looking deeper into their own nature and perhaps gleaning a deeper understanding of the human condition; which is a journey filled with victories and trials.

Beowulf

I'm glad that we watched the movie version of Beowulf. Trying to read and understand the written language and actually enjoy it is virtually impossible.  I had also seen the movie before and It was interesting to see this take on what it was that I had read in the book. A lot of things where different, but I liked the creative liberties taken. One of my favorite "liberties" was the depiction of Grendel's mother. In the book she is an old hag who lives in a swamp who is the mother of a monster. When you hear this you do not think... Angelina Jolie. Grendel's mother was a beautiful vixen who lived that the bottom of the sea, who was just as cunning as she was beautiful. And what also got me was that when she made the deal with Beowulf, it was that she would actually bear a son by him. I guess when I read this I didn't understand the full brunt of the situation. And then the dragon, who was Beowulf and Grendel's mothers son came back to terrorize them. But when this happened, a villager said the dragon said something about the sins of the father. I believe I remember reading this is the story, but all of this definatly did not come together for me like this until I had watched the movie. It's amazing what you will miss when trying to understand the words rather than what the words are saying.

Sir Gawain and How History Repeats Itself.

Reading Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was almost like deja vu to me. Not only because I had already read this story in a class before, but because I felt like I was reading all of the hero/villain stories I had read before, as I did with Beowulf. These stories are the foundation to the superman stories and the batman stories that we are so fond of today. I believe this is what makes these stories appear in academic forums over and over again. I even think that if someone modernize the story of Sir Gawain (and did it well) it might even be a hit. I think the problem most people today have with reading these types of stories is the language. Getting past the language and double meanings and see the themes and the symbols for what they are, you can really enjoy a story like this. Watching a modern story about a guy who takes a challenge from some evil foe to prove his valience. I mean we kinda see story lines like that in movies today. So why not a modern version of Sir Gawain?

Sir I Don't Know How To Stay Away

Sir Gavin and The Green Knight was a very interesting story to read. The first thing I noticed was how the story fit so well into our contemporary culture. The story of a man who is tricked or set up into a challenge is an all-too-familiar trope that appears in our television shows and stories. An Inter textual analysis of the work shows that Sir Gawin is a symbol of the ideal make in the middle ages. The men during this time were defined by chivalry and honor, and Sir Gawain is no different. The Christian principles are also very apparent in this text. Sir Gawin offers himself up as a sacrifice, just as Christ gave himself up for us. This man-made theology of courtly principles mixed with Christian morals as a prime example of the way society behaved and acted in the Middle Ages. Another prominent symbol in the story is the symbol of the seductive woman. This motif, as a woman who uses her feminine wiles to test a man, has not gotten old since it began,probably around this time. All this makes Sir Gawin and the Green Knight an excellent read for anyone who understands how most legends and myths are set up, and for those who would like to learn. 

Sir Gawain

This poem illustrated the choices we make every day and illustrated the mysterious ways that life works. You never know who you will encounter and many times people watch you, and see how you will act in a certain situation even though you may be oblivious to it. Daily Decisions may impact yourself and others as well.

-Mitchel Daniel

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a great poem which the Knight who accepts a challenge from Green Knight who challenge any knight to behead him with his axe. Sir Gawain is honest of sin. He was challenge one day and Sir Gawain leaps up and takes the challenge himself. He took the axe and in one deadly blow, he cuts off the knight's head.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight displays honor and loyalty. Sir Gawain could have been known as a coward in his land, but he went in search after a year had went by. On his quest to the Green Chapel, he reached a kingdom where he was invited in by the lord.  He then was tested by the lord’s wife three times. He resisted her charming abilities, but accepted a green girdle. Sir Gawain faced off with the green knight and his neck was grazed by the ax. Despite the promise one year ago, he was allowed his life. The lord and green knight played a double role in Sir Gawain life. This story shows how temptation can come in any form to every man. We as Christians must be strong in our fight again temptation and resist the enemy.

-Lorenza Carey

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a really great story that includes morals and values. The character of Sir Gawain is honest and clean of sin, as much as humanly possible.However, a day comes when he is tested. Sin is put in his path and instead of avoiding it, he crashes into it head first. This story mirrors the struggle that Christians face. We know what sin is and how to avoid it and we have the roadmap to stay on the path of the righteous. But sometimes temptations, trails, and tests come into our life and lead us of the path that God has intended for us. But because we have grace and mercy, just as Sir Gawain  received from the Green Knight, we have the chance to right our wrongs and get back on the road towards righteousness.

Sir Gawain and His Guilt

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a depiction of how far someone will go to prove their loyalty. Although it is said that Sir Gawain was the most noble knight, I believe that he was trying to still prove that to himself and others. By giving the green knight the blow instead of making King Arthur, Sir Gawain did not look weak, which was what he was trying to avoid. While being tested, sir Gawain remained noble, but it seemed like the act of kissing the hosts wife was not honorable. It seemed as though Sir Gawain deeply had issues with nobility that he felt like he needed to overcome in the poem. In the end, he did not fully past the test. I believe Sir Gawain felt so guilty about keeping the green girdle because that signified the personal battle he lost. He carried that guilt around by wearing the girdle continually. 

Sir Garwin and the Green Knight (the green girdle)

 The symbol of the green girdle changes thought the poem. In the beginning when the queen gives the girdle to Garwin she promises him that the girdle is magical and will protect whoever wears it; to Garwin the girdle signified favor and some form of hope he believed that he was given something of great value and therefore refused to give it up.
 The girdle also signifies deceit because the queen lied to Garwin when she told him that it possess magical powers. Her lie was a test of his character. The fact that Garwin refused to mention the future also makes it a symbol of deceit.
 At the end of the poem the girdle became a symbol of sin Garwin tied the girls to his wrist to remind himself of the sin he had committed it also became a symbol of shame because anyone who saw the girdle would remember the story behind it.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

This poem tells of Sir Gawain, a knight, who accepts a challenge from a mystifying "Green Knight" who challenges any knight to behead him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts. In his struggles to keep his agreement he shows chivalry and loyalty until, the lady of the Green Knight’s castle tests his honor. I found Gawain’s struggle with honor and morality quite interesting. The fact that he tried to keep seemingly contradictory rules speaks to how we struggle to keep social mores as well as our Christian values.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Bob-and-Wheel)

Though death by sword is what he feared
He stood steadfast with all his might,
But instead of demise his life was spared
By the mercy and grace of the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green knight

There was a brave knight you see
Who went to fight in a green battle
It gave him honor and chivalry
In the way to that green chapel


United nature
United kingdom
Mysterious creature
Grace filled victim 

Alyce Hendricks 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight : The Testing Time ( Bob and Wheel)

Many a Test brought about in the game of lifes plight

Where Courtesy and Compassion lay in copious collection,
A knight is chosen to be tried on sundry affair of a kings wife,
His decisions to be wighed in his calling and election,
A girdle given in lust caused the graze of a Greens' knife,

The Dream of the Rood – A Story to Tell

The Dream of the Rood is the retelling of Christ’s crucifixion from the cross’s point of view. At first, the fact that an inanimate object would have a point of view at all sounds strange. Regardless of this peculiarity, it is a powerful mode of telling a story. The very appearance of the tree indicates that it has experienced both tragedy and glory. Although it was adorned with precious metal and precious stones, it sustained signs of injury. As it shined in splendor, it also bled. This is powerful symbolism. Although Christ above humankind, he suffered and died for us.

Beowulf

The film, Beowulf, is a modern take on the eponymously named Old English epic poem. In the movie, Beowulf takes on the task of killing the monster, Grendel. Heroes are normally rewarded their (brave) actions and Beowulf received all of that and more. As I watched this film, several happenings reminded me of the saying, “All that glitters is not gold.” I also frequently thought of Satan’s first lie to humanity: “Ye shall not surely die….” What Beowulf once thought he wanted eventually became unsatisfactory. He also fallaciously believed the consequences of his actions would not have the expected repercussions.

Hero or Villain?

In the story of Beowulf, there is a hero that comes to this town to slay a monster that has been bothering the town recently. This hero, Beowulf, eventually kills the monster. Everyone is happy. However, what the citizens didn't realize about killing that monster is that it was only the true monsters son.  Once Beowulf finds this out, he challenges himself to take on the mother. Once he goes into her layer, he is astonished by her beauty. She makes promises of riches and glory if he slept with her. He falls into the temptation and goes back claiming victory over the monster. Many years later, a dragon comes to terrorize the town and Beowulf is able to slay the dragon. Even though he was able to save the townspeople, he falls short in saving his own life. Right before his death, he saw that the dragon he killed was actually his son born from the gorgeous charmer.

Now that we've passed the preliminaries of the story, many argue that Beowulf was a hero, but I suggest that his actions reveal more villainous qualities. When reading this story, it leaves a peaceful image that Beowulf “the great” has rid this town of that horrid dragon.  He saved the defenseless and unprepared townspeople. This was very heroic. However, may I suggest that the dragon would have never been there if it weren't for Beowulf falling into the temptation? From the depiction of the movie, many homes were completely destroyed, many innocent people killed, and it almost resulted in the murder of the queen and his mistress. This selfish act to sleep with the beautiful monster, affected the lives of many, even after his death. Both sides hold equal weight in this argument. He did bring wrath upon the town. Nonetheless, he owned up to his mistakes by killing the beasts even if it meant sacrificing his own life. 

sin,sin and more sin

The movie Beowulf had a personal, spiritual effect on me. It made me think about sin and how every sin can be passed down to the generations and can affect others. In Exodus 34: 7 it says "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting (punishing) the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation." In Lamentations 5:7 it says "Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne (been punished for) their iniquities."

        When the father/ King Hrothgar slept with Grendels mother, the demon, he bore a son with her named Grendel. This sin was kept a secret for a time. The king next was Beowulf and he ended up falling for the same woman, same cure, and same sin. Creating another demon child with the demon, being lured by money and power which we find is temporary. But the bible says in Numbers 32:23 but if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. And in Ephesians 5:1– 13 it says ¹¹and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. ¹²For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. ¹³But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

          This was a powerful movie and I would like to share it with others. May the curse in my life be broken and may we all seek God’s Guidance in everything we do. Let us not be tempted or lured by the world.

Beowulf : Movie Addition

While I sat in my class watching Beowulf I couldn't help but see a few striking differences in contrast with Beowulf the Epic Text . Let's start with Beowolf's less than heroic demeanor in the movie. Firstly, when he is positioned to kill Grendel he begins to act in an offensive erotic behavior . He releaves himself of all clothing , and proceeds to fight the beasts as his gentils swing from side to side. He has no regard for anyone.
Following , Beowolf let's greed and his sexual relationship deter him from his true purpose of killing Grendel's mother. He then lied to cover up his wrong doings. Having the affair with Grendel's mothers results in the conception of the dragon that he slays in the end. This dragon was indeed his son.  Sin brought him to procreate with Grendel's mother , which then resulted him killing his own flesh because of his beastly ways. This is a sin within itself.  The bible did say that we aren't to lay with beasts. Although, Grendel's mother did not have beastly physical characteristics she was a beast in all other aspects of the word. The statement " everything has an equal and opposite action" is quote to take heed of here . Beowulf would have done well this statement.
Now, let's reflect back in Grendel's mother . While in the Epic Text , Beowulf is the main focus he is not in the movie. The director and writers of the film turned Grendel's mother into a sexual icon. No longer was she disfigured and unappealing to the eye , but her beauty was captivating.  She glistened with a presence that was the epitome of sex. Her curvaceous body and stunning features are the down fall of both Hrothgar and Beowolf'. She was the demise of men .

Beowulf

As I watch the movie "Beowulf" I was very appalled at the killing machine Grendel who terrorizes Denmark. But, as the movie goes on I realized it portrays a biblical story of David and the Philistine champion Goliath. The reason why this came to my mind is because Beowulf came to King Hrothgar rescue in saving his kingdom. Likewise, in the story of David and Goliath; David came to King Saul's rescue in defeating Goliath. Also, in the fight against Grendel; Beowulf decides not to use a weapon but his bare hands. Similarly, David slayed the great giant with only slingshot and a stone. David sleeps with a woman he wasn't suppose to named Bathsheba. Likewise, Beowulf decides to lay with the Grendel's mother. Beowulf thinks by doing this that it is going to bless him, but ended up cursing him for life. The golden horn seems to be Beowulf's soul in the movie. As long as the Grendel's mother has it; there is no conflict. We as Christians will fall to sin because we arent perfect; but we must be willing to stand back up for our Lord. We must make sure our soul is right with God because He is the only one who can save us from eternal hell.

-Lorenza Carey

The movie Beowulf was a lot different than the book Beowulf. For instance, in the book I don't really remember being this guy who was really arrogant on himself. I also don't remember Grendel's mother being a sexy temptress. And any rate the Hollywood movies have to be entertainment so that's pretty much the movie. I did enjoy the scene at the end with the Dragon and Beowulf fighting. I was also surprised at how violent the movie was for a PG-13 rating. In any case it was a fun interpretation of Beowulf, and at least the characters were kept mostly intact.

The Personalization and Parallel of the Crucifixion: The Dream of the Rood

While reading this poem, I felt drawn in to the dream itself. The overall theme of synonymous transformation that took place between Jesus and the tree was interesting to say the least. There is a transition from being something beautiful that gives life (Jesus Christ being in Heaven and the cross being a tree) to becoming less than their worth (Christ becoming man and the tree becoming a cross) all to become a symbol cemented in history. The wretched things that happened to Jesus were personified in the tree. In the poem Kennedy wrote, "They pierced me through with darksome nails; on me the scars are manifest, the open, woeful wounds." Despite all of the hardships both Christ and the cross endured, the part that stood out to me was the cross saying, "Yet dared I not work harm to any of them." Even as Jesus endured the harsh acts of man with a nonviolent mentality, the cross did so as well." The cross was a firsthand witness to the entirety of the crucifixion and as it endured the hardships as Christ did, it was rewarded. The cross was in a dark place but when it connected with Christ, it was transformed to something bigger than itself. So as men and women of Christ, we may see some dark days, some struggles, and hardships but when we get connected to Christ, we can become something greater than what can imagine for ourselves. 

-Marlon Barrows

Beowulf

When watching the movie adaptation of this epic poem, I have to admit that most of the time, my mouth was hanging open, in shock and disbelief. I had no idea what to expect! However, looking beyond the gore, I began to understand that Beowulf struggled with temptation. Beowulf was a hero and he sacrificed himself in order to defeat Grendel, wanting nothing in return and during his reign as king, he was fair and just, and attentive to his subjects. But he made one mistake by laying with Grendel’s mother, because she promised him power and wealth. By giving in to this temptation, he felt incessantly guilty. Beowulf, just like us Christians, know what is right and try to stay on the correct path, however sometimes the world offers us things that are just to tempting and we lose our way. However, there is still hope because when we are able to take responsibility of our actions and turn our lives over to Christ, with His help, we can defeat the dragons or sins and temptations in our life.

-Eryn Peeler

The Battle of Good and Evil

When I first began to watch the movie, Beowulf, in class I have to admit that I was somewhat confused. As I watched Grendel, a terrifying man-eating monster, completely obliterate the residents of the Scandinavian country I was somewhat startled but I decided to continue to watch and analyze the movie. As I continued to watch the movie, I saw the battle of good and evil evolve not only between the demonic powerhouses, Grendel, his mother, and a dragon, and the people Denmark, but I also saw the struggle within the great leaders Beowulf and King Hrothgar. Beowulf originally came to be the savior to destroy Grendel so that the people would once again be safe in their kingdom. Beowulf was victorious in his efforts to defeat Grendel but he fell short of his glory when he sought out to defeat Grendel's mother but fell under the curse of her lust instead. When he returned to the village he tried to avoid directly answering the long awaiting question of whether or not he killed Grendel’s mother. After the king had a brief dialogue with Beowulf, I saw a cycle that was repeated between the two of them. This cycle was revealed when the king said, “She’s not my curse, not anymore.” This shows that the king made the same mistake that Beowulf did when he had his encounter with Grendel’s mother and the entire kingdom had to pay for the sins of the father. Although Beowulf had a moment of weakness, his heroism was once again displayed when he defeated his half-breed, human and demon, son, the dragon, by sacrificing himself to save his kingdom.

Beowulf - A Christian?

While watching Beowulf I immediately noticed the contrast between good and evil. Grendel and her mother were portrayed as being demonic and I first perceived Beowulf as having Christ like attributes. I saw this when he went to sacrifice his own life to rescue the Danes from Grendel. When the king asked him how much money he needed, he replied with compassion, and said he is not doing it for money. This is similar to how Christ came and sacrificed himself for humanity. However as the movie progressed I noticed how Beowulf was very prideful and lost himself in earthly pleasures. By the end of the movie, Beowulf was a Christian who strived to have the love and self-sacrifice that Christ had.

-Mitchel Daniel

Beowulf - Your Sins Will Find You Out

As I sat watching the movie my initial thoughts were, "What in the world is going on?" I knew a bit of the story from previous exposure to the work in my high school English class however, I had opted out of watching the movie based on moral conviction. I didn't want to watch a movie based on a work that I perceived to contain elements of Spirituality that I just wasn't comfortable with. However, this time around, although still not at peace with the literary work, I decided to watch the movie for the class. As I sat watching Grendel overturn the room and demolish innocent subjects I struggled with the idea of sitting through the movie and watching more action  occur through the hands of this "charming" beast. Although mildly disturbed and a bit creeped out I decided to stay and watch the film in it's entirety. Maybe it was time to try and gain a full picture of what this literary work had to offer. I sat back and watched, sometimes with downcast eyes, through both the peaceful and the gory elements of the movie. As the story unfolded I found a depth to this tale that I didn't realize existed until now. The story of Beowulf is filled with moral principles that upon discovery can benefit into lifelong lessons. There is a Biblical principle that states, "Be sure your sins will find you out." This quote reminds me of  King Hrothgar in Bewoulf. The King, although happily married to his Queen Wealhtheow, one day falls under the spell of Grendel's mother and she conceives a child that since  birth has plagued his kingdom. Now, not only does he have to live with the remorse of cheating on his beloved queen, but he also has caused harm to come to a country that he has been given the duty of protecting. It is because of one small act made in lust, that he now faces a consequence that not only affects his family but has caused heartache and pain to come to his kingdom. I can only imagine the sense of remorse that King Hrothgar could have felt as he watches his very own son destroy the subjects of his kingdom. Next, we have the Hero Beowulf who comes to slay Grendel and though successful, he finds himself caught in the very same snare as King Hrothgar. Beowulf has now resurfaced that same curse in which he came to remedy now on the subjects of a kingdom that believe him to be their savior. The quote states, "Be sure your sins will find you out." Both King Hrothgar and Beowulf committed secret sins. There was no widespread public knowledge of the mistakes that they had made with Grendel's mother, however their sins eventually in time, found them out. Each conceived children that caused widespread pain and destruction to their kingdom. Had it not been for that one little indulgence of sin, or that one safeguard let down for the sake of temporary pleasure, there would have been peace throughout the kingdom. There would have been no feeling of fear and unrest among the citizens, no man eating beast to terrorize the land, no guilty conscience to weigh down the mind of an aged and wise king, and no need for a Hero to save the country from one man's sin. A lifelong curse brought about through one man's simple decision that in the long run caused more pain than all the pleasures of the world could remedy.

The Dream of the Rood

         As I read The Dream of the Rood, my mind could only envision the day our Savior endured so much suffering on that cross. This poem was like hearing "the other side of a story” compared to the side of Christ or other people who witnessed his crucifixion. This picture painted was from the view of the cross. The rood told of its' strife as it was taken from its home, and set on a hill to do a deed it did not sign up for. But yet, the rood knew how precious of a life it was holding up, acknowledging Jesus as, "The Almighty God" "Hero" and "King" many instances in the dream. Due to the fact that all nature testifies to its’ Creator, the rood knew it had to remain steadfast and upright in order for Jesus' full purpose to be fulfilled. By the end of the dream, the tree gave the dreamer courage to do the same. The dreamer in a sense wanted to take up the cross and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. The rood attested to the glory of God, which in return led the dreamer's soul to Christ.