Assignment 1

ASSIGNMENT 1. English language through English literary works


1. Anglosaxon beliefs and values Find out a masterpiece (any period of time) that comprises the values and beliefs described in Beowulf and write an essay including the following aspects: author, title, period of time, beliefs and values. Justify your ideas using quotations or describing passages from the literary work selected.(200-300 words).

I chose El Cantar de Mio Cid to compare it with Beowulf. El Cantar del Mio Cid is an anonymous piece written in 1200 approximately and is divided in three parts. It tells about heroic deeds of the Spanish knight Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, El Cid Campeador. As Beowulf it has oral tradition and both have the same values being these the perfect hero and kinship, loyalty, bravery andthe concept of eternal life.

The values and beliefs are describing using different passages from the poem:

“Ahora me siento pagado, porque hacia Castilla irán noticias y comentarios de que Mio Cid campal batalla ha ganado” – Minaya. This Knight survived thanks to the help that Cid gave him in the battle and is glad someone would tell everyone the kind of hero The Cid is.

“Al rey deCastilla, Alfonso, que de ella me ha desterrado quisiera enviarle, como presente, treinta caballos, cada uno con su silla y todos bien enviados, llevando sendas espadas de los arzones colando”: The Cid presents loyalty to King Alfonso sending him presents after The Cid wins his battle in spite the king had exiled him.

These two passages represent loyalty



“Cuando el león le hubo visto,intimidado quedó y frente al Cid la cabeza bajando, el hocico hincó”: the Cid is considered a hero by a lion and recognizes its defeat. Is represented in this passage the perfect hero and royalty.


“Agradezco a Dios, decía, Aquel que está allá en lo alto, que ha hecho que esta batalla hayamos por Él ganado”: the Cid thanks God for winning the battle. With this he proves his faith. This pasajerepresents the concept of eternal life.

“Los yernos y vuestras hijas, todos vuestros hijos son”. This passage represents the
Kingship


Although represented with different actions and characters in these two poems we find the same values ​​and beliefs.

2. Elizabethan literature. Read the following extract from Hamlet (Act I, Scene V) and summarize it using your own words, replacing bold wordsin the text by synonyms.
Here you are some steps to write a summary:
· Read through the text to be summarised at least twice.
· Highlight key words and main ideas.
· Put the points in the correct order.
· Write out the information as a first draft, using linking words to provide the text with coherence
· Check for accurate English language use
· Write out the correct and final versionGhost: I am your father‘s spirit. I have come to tell you a terrible story. Listen, listen, please listen, and if you ever loved your dear father…
Hamlet: O God!
Ghost: Revenge his foul and unnatural murder.
Hamlet: Murder!
Ghost: Yes, a terribly foul murder.
Hamlet: Tell me quickly so I, with wings as rapid as thoughts may go and take revenge.
Ghost: Now Hamlet listen: It is said that while Iwas sleeping in my garden one day, a serpent bit me –so all of Denmark is tricked by this lie. But I want you to know, noble youth, that the serpent that took away your father‘s life now wears his crown.
Hamlet: O I knew something like this has happened but, my uncle?
Ghost: Yes, that incestuous and adulterous beast. He is an evil traitor who seduced my lovely and virtuous wife, the queen. OHamlet! What a terrible mistake the queen made when she went from my noble and true love to the unnatural love of a wretch. It seems as if passion could satisfy itself on a celestial bed and then feast on garbage.
But look the morning light appears so I must be brief: What really happened was that while I was sleeping in my garden, like I usually do, your uncle came in and put a deadly poison in my...