The Existential Crisis of Beowulf, the Great Hero

3.5 to 4 pages in length. (The most common issue I see is a short essay which slaps your grade down hard. If the number on the last page doesn't say 4 on it and it's not past the halfway mark, your paper isn't long enough.)
This essay will reflect your engagement with the readings and lectures we've had during the second half of the semester:
Machiavelli's The Prince
Montaigne's "Of Cannibals" etc.
Beowulf
Shakespeare's Hamlet
Choose from one of the prompts below (only one):
1. Machiavelli is alive and running for political office using the same ideas he outlined in The Prince. You are his ethics advisor for his campaign. What do you say in order to convince him to take a more ethical approach to politics? Which of his ideals and principles should he change, keep, or abandon? Why? Would you vote for him?
2. You're having coffee with Montaigne, talking about American cultural divisions and pain. Montaigne is giving recommendations for improvements in social attitudes toward different American subcultures. What are you talking about? What is he saying and what are your responses? How can his ideas be implemented, and how can't they? Does he take cream in his coffee?
3. Beowulf rows a boat through your bedroom door, asking for your help. He's having an existential crisis and suffering from imposter syndrome. Based upon his behaviors and achievements in the poem, what do you tell him? How do you help him believe in himself?
4. You are the court counselor in Hamlet. Think about each character's situation and the choices they make leading up to their demise. What advice would you give them? How could they handle the situations differently? What would you do in their place and why? What would happen if everyone was medicated by something other than poison?
5. If there's a specific idea or topic you'd like to write about, run it by me in an email by Wednesday to discuss.

Wondering what your paper will be graded on? In addition to quality content, here are guidelines you can (should) use while you work on your papers. Treat it like a checklist!
Your paper must contain direct quotes from the reading(s). Parenthetical in-text citations are not required. No research, no works cited, no citations. First-person "I" pronouns are fine, but avoid any second-person "you." Papers full of "you" this and "you" that and "your/you're" stuff will see their grade suffer. Third-person is your friend.
Format
Times New Roman font, size 12
Double-spaced with no additional spaces between the paragraphs or lines (the little “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” box in the Line and Spacing tab where you go to double-space the document)
The header should be complete with your name, the instructor’s name, the class with section number, and the assignment due date, all in this order and located in the top left body of the document (not in the upper "header" margin)
The top right of the essay should have the page number with your last name on the left beside it, separated by a single space, such as: Johnson 1
The page number with last name should be the same Times New Roman font in 12-point size
There should be no page numbers located anywhere else in the document, such as the bottom of the page
The essay must have a title centered on the page right below the header, followed by the first paragraph, with no extra spaces between each element
Titles are not sentences, so there shouldn’t be a period at the end of it
For essay titles, primary words are capitalized; articles and prepositions are not unless they're the first word in the title or 2+ syllables long (Google "how to title an essay" if you need help)
The essay should have an actual title that's interesting and gives your reader a clue as to what the paper is about. The title should NOT be the name of the assignment, so don't write "Midterm Essay"
Poem titles are put in quotes; book titles are in italics; books from the Bible or Qur'an are just capitalized
Your paper must contain multiple paragraphs. The number of paragraphs it contains is up to you (DO NOT USE the classic five-paragraph model; it's terrible), but it should absolutely NOT be one huge paragraph
No slang, idioms, or overly-casual language
Again, there should be no research or outside input; this is your writing only; incorporating research will be considered cheating and result in a zero
Content
Try to provide some sort of insight, solution, or concept for the reader to think about after they’re done with your essay. Successful writing stays with the reader after they’ve finished reading. The driving question is: Why should the reader care? If the writing isn’t real, relevant, and well-constructed, your reader won’t care about what you have to say.