Emmons 12CP
“Beowulf” Final: Study Guide
Part 1: Literary Devices: You will need to be able to identify each of the following terms within your text: kennings, alliteration, epithet, caesura,
patronymic, and boast.
Example:
Which literary device is shown in the following excerpt?
“A powerful monster, living down
In the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as
Day after day the music rang/”
Part 2: Vocabulary Development: You will need to select which vocabulary word belongs in which sentence: reparation, solace, purge, writhing,
massive, and loathsome.
Example:
“The knowledge that the Geats are left in the good, loyal hands of Wiglaf provides Beowulf with ___________________ in his final moments.”
Part 3: Literary Comprehension and Analysis (Multiple choice)
This section will be a variety of questions, connecting “Beowulf” to the following:

Origin of Old English and Middle English

Significance of “Beowulf” historically, its role as an epic, the purposes of an epic

Elements of the Hero’s journey, how they apply to Beowulf (Birth, destiny, obstacles, romance, death, resurrection, journey home, Belly
of the Whale)

Plot points throughout the story

Function/use of literary elements in the story
Part 4: Paragraph Response
For this section, you will need to focus on one of the common themes of our story and develop a paragraph response analyzing that theme. There
will be four possible response prompts, you must respond to two. These prompts will focus on: the tale/trait of the epic, values of Anglo Saxon
culture, Christian vs pagan influence within the text, good vs. evil, loyalty and honor, Beowulf as an epic hero
Emmons12CP
“Beowulf” Final: Study Guide
Part 1: Literary Devices: You will need to be able to identify each of the following terms within your text: kennings, alliteration, epithet, caesura,
patronymic, and boast.
Example:
Which literary device is shown in the following excerpt?
“A powerful monster, living down
In the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as
Day after day the music rang/”
Part 2: Vocabulary Development: You will need to select which vocabulary word belongs in which sentence: reparation, solace, purge, writhing,
massive, and loathsome.
Example:
“The knowledge that the Geats are left in the good, loyal hands of Wiglaf provides Beowulf with ___________________ in his final moments.”
Part 3: Literary Comprehension and Analysis (Multiple choice)
This section will be a variety of questions, connecting “Beowulf” to the following:

Origin of Old English and Middle English

Significance of “Beowulf” historically, its role as an epic, the purposes of an epic

Elements of the Hero’s journey, how they apply to Beowulf (Birth, destiny, obstacles, romance, death, resurrection, journey home, Belly
of the Whale)

Plot points throughout the story

Function/use of literary elements in the story
Part 4: Paragraph Response
For this section, you will need to focus on one of the common themes of our story and develop a paragraph response analyzing that theme. There
will be four possible response prompts, you must respond to two. These prompts will focus on: the tale/trait of the epic, values of Anglo Saxon
culture, Christian vs pagan influence within the text, good vs. evil, loyalty and honor, Beowulf as an epic hero