Unferth+(E+Block)

1. Trial Preparation:
 * check your block's wiki page for your role assignment for the trial
 * outline the major points for your role in the trial - post on your "role" wiki page D or G block (e.g. Beowulf)
 * your outline should include specific ideas and page / line numbers for direct quotation you plan on using
 * include as much information on this outline as possible

Statement Assignment: Each person needs to prepare a 250 - 300 word statement with at least 3-4 pieces of textual support (word count excludes quotes). For the lawyers, argue for your position, attempting not to simply repeat what the other lawyers are saying. For the witnesses, write your statement from the POV of your character, explaining what you believe to be the truth.


 * Thesis:** DISPROVE “The world and everything in it is unplanned accident, existence is meaningless; the past is irrelevant; nothing matters.”

“A hero is not afraid to face cruel truth. “
 * Argument:** We must create the meaning to our lives and define what we say is real.

“It will be sung year on and age on age that Unferth went down through the burning lake and gave his life in battle with the world-rim monster.”
 * Argument:** Questions about the meaning of life are questions about values. We attribute values to things in life rather than discovering them. There can be no meaning of life outside of the meaning we create for ourselves because the universe is not a sentient being that can attribute values to things.

“It’s all very well to make a fool of me before my fellow thanes. All very well to talk about dignity and noble language and all the rest, as if heroism were a golden trinket, mere outward show, and hollow. But such is not the case, monster. That is to say-”

“Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worth while.”
 * Argument:** What makes our lives meaningful is that we find the activities we engage in to be worthwhile. Our determination to carry out projects we have created for ourselves gives our lives meaning. We feel that life is meaningless when most of our desires which we regard as important are frustrated.

“A hero is not afraid to face cruel truth. “

“ You talk heroism as noble language, dignity. It’s more than that, as my coming here has proved. no man above us will ever know whterh Unferth died here or fled to the hills like a coward. Only you and I and God will know the truth. That’s inner heroism.”


 * Conclusion:** The world and everything in it is unplanned accident, existence is meaningless; the past is irrelevant; nothing matters

Statement: What is life as we interpret it? Is life a mere condition of state or is it something more? something special? The life that the dragon claims meaningless is the common condition of us all.

When one asks the meaning of life, one is asking about a certain purpose of existence. The truth is that all of us are different. We must create our own meaning for our lives regardless of whether or not our lives serve some higher purpose. Whether our lives are meaningful to us depends on how we judge them. We attribute values to things in life rather than discovering them. There can't be any meaning of life outside of the meaning we create for ourselves each and every one of us is unique in that we perceive our own values and desires ultimately shaping our own life.

What makes our lives meaningful is that we enjoy the activities we engage in to be worthwhile. Our determination to carry out the things that are important to us gives our life meaning. We don't do these things for fame or for glory, although some people do,everybody does want some attention. But why would we want attention? It's because everybody knows inside that their life is meaningful and they want to show it.

If life wasn't meaningful, \Why do dream, why would we try so hard in life if it wasn't meaningful? What, do we try just because we want to make money so we can survive? Well so be it, survive, because everyone's life has a meaning and that is why we want to survive. We do all of these things because ultimately we believe in an unpredicted outcome, a future. The claim that our lives are 'ultimately' meaningless does not make sense because there is no sense in which they could be meaningful or meaningless outside of how we regard them. Sure some people hate their lives. I sometimes hate my life. I'll bet everyone in this room has once said it "I Hate my Life." But it doesn't mean our lives our meaningless. We've found happiness and we've had values.

Our moments of happiness as well as moments of sadness are in essence the snapshots of our life. We take all these pictures and compile them to make our album of life. And people who throw away that album don't realize that they have a meaning in life. We are all heroes in this world because we have made accomplishments. "A hero is not afraid to face cruel truth" “Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless. The hero sees values beyond what’s possible. That’s the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worth while.”

“ You talk heroism as noble language, dignity. It’s more than that, as my coming here has proved. no man above us will ever know whterh Unferth died here or fled to the hills like a coward. Only you and I and God will know the truth. That’s inner heroism.”


 * Letter Reflection**

I thought Gardner's letter was rather hypocritical and contradictal. I didn't understand why he kept switching his views back and forth from life is meaningful and hopeful to meaningless and hopeless. Gardner writes about how Beowulf's life was rather meaningless because he didn't really earn anything except for fame and in the end, he dies leaving his people to die as well; all treasures are useless in the end. I think Gardner secretly also believes that life is meaningless as he countlessly gives examples and cynical views on his reflected answers to both novels Beowulf and Grendel. Maybe he does believe that life is somewhat meaningful in the state that you are alive, but in the condition in which you are dead, it seems the opinion tends to change.