Beowulf...the Techy??

Now that we have finished reading Beowulf (the oldest piece of British literature), let's continue our fun! :) I could tell by the way you slammed your books closed yesterday as soon as the last word of the story was read, that you were eager to see what was next in our adventures with this hero we have grown to love! ;) I didn't want to disappoint...so...let me get right to the assignment!

I know that some of you think it would be cool to live back during those times and fight monsters and dragons. You were probably hoping that I would let you put yourself in the place of one of the characters and tell what you would have done or how fast you would have killed the creatures!! Instead of going that direction, though, I thought it would be more fun to bring them into the 21st Century! Since I am the BOSS, we are going to do just that (and of course, by "we" I mean "you")! :)

You are going to rewrite the story (but an even shorter version) only you are going to add technology. Make sure you include each of the sections that were included in our literature books. Also, the setting, plot, etc. needs to remain basically the same....it can't just end in the first section by Grendal coming and killing everyone in the castle the first night after he uses Google to locate Herot Hall!

You are allowed to give each of the characters listed below one piece of technology, but you cannot give out more than one of each kind of technology. For example, if you give Beowulf an iPhone, then no one else is allowed to have an iPhone. The characters you will "hook up" with technology will be:

1. Beowulf
2. Higlac
3. Hrothgar
4. The Danish Watchman (the one who questions Beowulf and his men when they reach shore)
5. Grendel
6. One of the Whitebeards (Hrothgar's men who stood at the edge of the lake waiting for Beowulf to come up from his battle with Grendel's Mother)
7. Grendel's Mother
8. Wiglaf
9. One of the Soldiers who betrayed Beowulf when he was battling the Dragon
10. One of the Soldiers who rode a horse around "Beowulf Tower" during the funeral of Beowulf

Because there are 10 characters, you will have to come up with 10 different kinds of technology. You will need to make sure you explain how each of the characters uses his/her/its device and include examples of how it affected the outcome of the story. Keep in mind that if Beowulf has an iPhone, you will have to think of ways for him to use it that do not require someone else to also have an iPhone (in other words, he cannot text someone iPhone to iPhone--and...NO you cannot just hand out 10 different kinds of cell phones)!! I know you all have other ways to "talk"...and uses for technology other than just communication! Think, think, think!!

The only other stipulation on technology is that it has to be something that has been invented in YOUR lifetime--it can be an updated version of something that was invented before you, but the actual product must not have been around before you were born! Make sure you do some research if you are not sure--and stick to technological inventions, not just inventions in general!

You need to include at least one picture in this post. It can be of anything that pertains to your story. However, I do not want to see any movie posters or book covers. Find a picture/pictures that will add to your story but that have not been previously used to illustrate Beowulf (or "Beowulf").

Your new post needs to be published by the end of class tomorrow. This gives you plenty of time to equip the characters with their technology and rewrite a short version of this epic poem (you know, Beowulf - the first written piece of British literature!?!).

Now...go to YOUR blog and create a new post, so that you can get to updating those guys!! The more creative, the better!! There might even be some kind of reward to the one who comes up with the most creative "technologically-advanced" Beowulf!!