Semester Exam 1 Review
Beowulf: Geat/Sweden
PROTAGONIST Prince of Sweden, Uncle Higlac is king of Sweden, crosses
sea to help Danes.
Edgetho: Beowulf’s father
Grendel: Evil Monster along with mother/dragon
Man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or
mountain lake.
Herot:
Golden guest-hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler.
Hrothgar: Dane/Denmark
King of the Danes, builder of Herot. He had once befriended Beowulf’s
father. His father was called Healfdane (which probably means “half
Dane”).
Hrothgar’s name might mean “glory-spear” or “spear of triumph.”
①
Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey
Beowulf is to England as _________________
are to ancient Greece.
①
What is the first example of old English
literature?
Beowulf is an oral tradition.
1st written example of Old English, written down around 700 A.D. by
MONKS.
Original author UNKNOWN.
①
Define epic:
An epic is a heroic poem.
A long narrative about the adventures of larger-than-life characters.
④
List four reasons why Beowulf is an epic hero.
Super-physical strength (bravery).
Super-ethical (loyalty)
Defeat monsters that embody dark, destructive powers.
Glorified by the people he saved.
THE MONSTER GRENDEL
⑤
What does laments mean?
Laments means to cry with grief.
⑥
What does reparation mean?
Reparation means payment to compensate for wrong doing.
⑦
What does solace mean?
Solace means to find peace.
⑧
Who is Grendel’s Biblical ancestor?
Cain is Grendel’s Biblical ancestor. In this Danish Epic poem Grendel is
conceived by a pair of monsters who are decedents of Cain. Cain’s
decedents were banished by God for the crime of Cain killing Abel.
⑨
What is Herot?
Herot is the guest-hall of Hrothgar.
⑧
Who is Hrothgar?
Hrothgar is the Danish King who built Herot.
⑪
Who is the strongest of the Geats?
Beowulf is know as the strongest of the Geats.
⑪
What are the two settings?
Herot (Hrothgar’s Hall) and Grendel’s lair.
⑮
What does Grendel do at night?
Grendel sneaks into Herot Hall while the warriors are passed out and
sleeping and kills them.
⑮
Why do none of Hrothgar’s men challenge
Grendel?
Hrothgar’s men are taken by surprise because Grendel is too fast.
⑯
Why does Grendel not touch Hrothgar’s
throne?
The throne is protected by God. Grendel is a descendent of Cain and
Cain’s lineage is cursed by God.
⑱
The epic struggle ends between Grendel and
Beowulf when ...
Grendel realizes that he cannot defeat Beowulf.
⑲
Beowulf kills Grendel during
… the battle. Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm from his body and
Grendel returns to his lair and bleeds to death.
beowulf
Poetic Devices
kennings
Kennings are special kinds of metaphors that use
compound words, prepositional phrases, or possessives
to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.
Possessive KENNING
EXAMPLES:
① “ocean’s face”
② “ocean’s / Furrows”
③ “God’s bright beacon”
④ “Heaven’s high arch”
⑤ “Geats’ / Brave prince”
⑥ “hell’s captive”
Compound word
kenning
EXAMPLES:
① “sea-paths”
② “hell-forged”
③ “banquet-rich”
④ “ring-giver”
⑤ “mead-cup”
⑥ “she-wolf ”
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
KENnING
EXAMPLE:
① “winters of grief ”
② “shelterer of warriors”
③ “shapes of darkness”
④ “shepherd of evil”
⑤ “tormentor of their days”
⑥ “journey / Into darkness”
ALLITERATION
Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial sound (usually a
consonant) to create a unifying sound effect or enhance a description.
EXAMPLES:
① “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.”
② “And the heathen’s only hope, Hell Always in their hearts”
③ “Came carrying out the carved flasks”
④ “Your luck may change if you challenge Grendel”
⑤ “Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls”
⑥ “He leaped into the lake”