Whereas Beowulf’s culture was centered on violence, our culture seems to be at peace. Is violence less a part of our culture, or does the violence simply manifest itself in different ways?
Does Beowulf tell the truth about violence? Does it glorify violence?
The men of Beowulf coped with violence in various ways—women, drink, storytelling, belief in fate. How does our society cope with violence and fear? What is the emotional impact of violence?
What is the role of women in Beowulf’s society? Are the women as powerless as they appear? Why is one of the three monsters a woman?
What do the monsters of a culture reveal about what that culture fears? What does Grendel represent? His mother?
Hrothgar's warriors are identified as "Spear-Danes" and Beowulf is known as Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow. Their identities seem to be tied up with their way of life and their ancestry. What is so central to your life that you could hyphenate your name to identify yourself? Do we still identify ourselves by our families, or is there something more important to our society?
What is the difference between how Norsemen defined "good" and how modern Western culture defines it? What is the difference, if any, in how we identify a good leader?
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