No New Tale to Tell: Greed

Greed can best be defined as excessive desire for something. Honestly, I feel that greed is something we were born with. It can range from wanting money, materialistic things, or people. We are encouraged to be the best in what we do, so when something or someone is ahead of our state, its in our instinct to have jealousy. Greed is displayed in the stories we read, Grendel and The Pardoner. One of the examples of each would be the mention of Cain and Abel. Cain had killed his brother because of jealousy towards his sacrifice compared to his. In The Pardoner, the pardoner sells fake merchandise that claims to be "holy" to peasants. His sole purpose is to get money from people and takes advantage of his audiences lack of knowledge.

Like mentioned before, I feel that greed is something we were all born as. It is our inclination to want things from other people that we can't have. In today's world, we see many examples of greed taking over people. Examples would be big corporations, rich taking advantage of the poor, and government. When one attains something, there would always be a brief period of satisfaction before wanting something else. This causes an endless cycle of greed. We can't always get rid of our need to want things, but we can always attempt to be more satisfactory with the things that are provided and possess. If not, timeless greed would make a person feel miserable, sense of unaccomplished, and the need to want more. We should all be happy with the things we have.

Truth

When the Shaper delivers his song to the king, Grendal is faced with statements he wasn't too necessarily sure about. Truth can be deceiving, for it could have been passed down from generations to generations. The once called "truth" could be manipulated and exaggerated. Former aspects of the truth could be omitted and replaced with versions that can be used to larger the deed of a particular race or person. Similar to the Shaper, his song boasts about the accomplishment of the Danes and King Hrothgar. Personally, I think because the fact that the Shaper is blind, it makes it obviously a person that was told the stories of the Danes. Emphasizing on TOLD, it clearly tells the reader that the Shaper's credibility is flawed, for he didn't witness something actually happening. Instead, he was told a story and he manipulated it in his own telling.

When Grendal was hearing the song of the Shaper, he almost was convinced. However, the dead man that he discovered made him think otherwise. Even though he disregards most of the song, he still believes in some, such as the story of Cain and Abel. Grendal seems as though he understands reality and truth, rather be bulged with unreliable facts the Shaper tells. Another prime example of truth would be king Hrothgar. Even though him and his people didn't know about half the things the Shaper were singing, they still passed it as truth. Rather than interrogating it, they embraced it. The credibility of the Shaper definitely shows the confusion of truth and what or who to believe. 

Modern Day Beowulf

When I think of Beowulf and the character he is, prideful, perfect, and religious are words best to describe him. Compared to modern day, I can't necessarily pinpoint a specific person that shows those specific qualities. However, when I think of commitment, pride, and god-like, the idea of athletics pops up. An athlete that I think most emulates Beowulf would be Tim Tebow (a professional football player). Even though Tim might not be the best quarterback, he gives all his praise to God after a good play he or his team delivers. "Tebowing" might be dead, but it is an action asking for attention. Ever since Tim Tebow started his usual celebration of "tebowing," it quickly became a flashy trend among the media and people. Similar to Beowulf, whom thirsts for attention and appreciation. Even though we might not know if Tim Tebow is actually praising God or seeking for attention, it has caught the attention of the media. Thus, making his celebratory action a hit trend.
As for a modern day Grendal, I feel that Joseph Stalin or any dictator could fit the description. Grendal's excuse for being a monster would be his isolationism and hearing the cheers of warriors. As for dictators, such as Stalin, they strongly believe in expansionism and their viewpoints. Despite their viewpoints, it doesn't justify their right to kill thousands of their own civilians. As for Grendal, just because of isolationism and the comments from the hall, it doesn't seem logical to kill men for 12 years because of that.

Me

My name is Nicolas Lau and I am currently a junior attending Whitney Young High School. At school, I plan on joining key club. Outside of school, I am an avid volleyball player for Sports Performance Volleyball Club located in Aurora, Illinois. Fortunately this past summer, I was selected to USA Volleyball's A1 Select team which participated in international competition. The competition consisted of: New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Dominican Republic, and China. During my spare time, I usually waste my time on the internet and television. When I have homework that I do not understand, I find it helpful to be able to watch a video about it. As for television, my favorite shows would be "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad." I am fascinated by science fiction and love cartoons with good plots.
Aside from my interests, I describe my self as reserved and quiet. I enjoy hearing people talk and share their opinions, but am usually skeptical to share my own. The fear of saying the wrong things or saying things that I don't necessarily mean usually makes me hesitate. Other than that, I look forward to this class and learning more about British Literature. Thank you and the end.