Beowulf: Reading Comprehension and Extension Questions
Name ______________________________
Directions: Answer the following questions in the spaces provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
Answers may be typed or neatly handwritten. Follow individual section and question directions.
Reading Comprehension: As you read Beowulf, answer the following questions (found in blue print within the pages of the story).
1.
Lines 19-29: Who were Grendel’s earliest ancestors? How did he come to exist?
2.
Line 49: What is meant by “The beginning might not be the end”?
3.
Line 58: In what way has hate triumphed?
4.
Line 64: What does the phrase “hell-forged hands” suggest about Grendel?
5.
Lines 110-112: Beowulf insists that he fight Grendel by himself, without weapons. Why is this so important to him?
6.
Line 115: The reference to God shows the influence of Christianity. Whose side do you think
God will be on?
7.
Lines 159-170: Up to this point Grendel has killed his human victims easily. Why does he try to run away from Beowulf?
8.
Lines 203-207: Why can no weapons hurt Grendel?
9.
Lines 236-239: Why does Beowulf hang Grendel’s arm from the rafters?
10.
Lines 329-330: Why do you think Beowulf keeps fighting?
11.
Lines 361-383: What values are reflected in Beowulf’s speech?

Beowulf: Reading Comprehension and Extension Questions
Alliteration: Answer the following questions as you read Beowulf.
1.
Define alliteration.
2.
Other than the example(s) given on page 42 of the textbook, identify at least five (5) other examples of alliteration in Beowulf.
3.
Explain how the use of alliteration contributes to the imagery in the poem (respond in complete sentences).
Epic Poetry: Answer the following questions after reading Beowulf.
1.
Define epic poetry.
2.
Like prose, an epic usually has a plot in which events center on a conflict. In complete sentences, identify and explain the conflict in Beowulf.
3.
After the conflict is introduced, the events of the plot build to a climax, a turning point where interest and intensity reaches a peak. In complete sentences, identify and explain the climax in
Beowulf.
4.
Following the climax, the events lead to a resolution, where many questions are answered and the final outcome of the conflict is discovered. In complete sentences, identify and explain the resolution in Beowulf.

Beowulf: Reading Comprehension and Extension Questions
Attitudes and Customs of the Anglo-Saxon Civilization: In complete sentences, identify details (and use textual evidence in the form of quotes or paraphrases) from Beowulf that reveal the attitudes and customs of the Anglo-Saxon Civilization. Search for, read, summarize in a paragraph or two, and properly cite (with both internal/parenthetical citations and a works cited entry) a research source
(besides the textbook) to support your response.
Vocabulary, Sentence Structure, and Elements of the Epic Hero Cycle: As you read or after you read
Beowulf, complete the attached/additional questions on the following sheets in the spaces provided.