How is the Middle Ages portrayed today? How do contemporary portrayals match with the
actual historical texts from the period?
Compare a contemporary medieval
adaptation (either the entire trilogy or one specific movie from the The Lord of the Ring’s) with a piece of literature from the Middle Ages (Sir Gawain the Green Knight OR Beowulf).
This comparison can NOT be too broad. In order to avoid this, I have decided to focus on the medieval values shown in the texts and compare them to the ones in LOTR. Compare the medieval values from one of the texts mentioned above to the values shown in LOTR (for example, values surrounding the Knight – Chilvary, etc).
You may not use both texts mentioned above in the comparison, only one (Sir Gawain the Green Knight OR Beowulf).
*Important: Be sure that you have a clear, argumentative thesis statement
and introductory paragraph. Support your thesis statement with well organized body
paragraphs and be sure to include a complete conclusion.
You are required to bring in one-two scholarly sources for this assignment. The sources
can be on the adaptation or the medieval text – whatever makes sense for your assignment.
These sources should be used to supplement your own argument. Do not let them
overpower your ideas.
