Beowulf: Study Guide Questions
Lines 1-64: Introduction

Of whom was Shield Sheafson king? What made him “one good king”?

Briefly describe Shield’s funeral. How did his people demonstrate their respect
for him?

What do we learn about Shield’s origins in lines 44-46?
Lines 65-193: Hrothgar’s Court and the Coming of Grendel

What makes Hrothgar able to build his mead-hall?

What fate awaits the mead-hall (eventually)?

What seems to awaken the “powerful demon”?

What seem to be Grendel’s origins?

Briefly describe Grendel’s mode of attack.

How long does Grendel terrorize the Danes?

Are the Danes Christian? How do you know?
Lines 194-661: Beowulf’s Arrival at Hrothgar’s Court

Where is Beowulf from? Why does he decide to travel to Denmark?

Hrothgar’s watchman finds the Geats' arrival unusual in two ways: what are they?

How does the watchman offer to help Beowulf and his men?

Why is Hrothgar excited to hear about Beowulf’s arrival? What has he heard
about Beowulf?

What is Beowulf’s “one request” to Hrothgar (line 439)?

How does Beowulf plan to fight Grendel? Why?

Of what does Unferth accuse Beowulf? How does Beowulf respond?
 What does Wealtheow’s role in the court seem to be?
Lines 662- 874: Grendel’s Attack
Before you start reading this section, you might note Heaney’s use of the word “bawn” in
line 721 on p. 49. As he explains in his introduction, “bawn” was the word used in
Elizabethan England for the “fortified dwellings which the English planters built in
Ireland to keep the dispossessed natives at bay.” Thus, Heaney invites us to see some
parallel between the monster Grendel and his own native Irish.

Why does Beowulf not save the first man Grendel kills?

How does Beowulf trap Grendel?

Why are Beowulf's warrior's unable to help him?

What wound does Beowulf inflict upon Grendel?
You can skim lines 874 - 914: The Story of Sigemund and Heremod.
Here, as Hrothgar’s men are riding their horses in celebration of Grendel’s demise, a
singer among them recounts the story of Sigemund, a brave man who killed a dragon and
laid claim to the treasure the dragon was hoarding. Sigemund originally told the story
about his encounter with the dragon to his nephew, Fitela, who battled many giants with
him. The singer also describes the evil Danish king Heremod, whose irresponsibility as
a leader is contrasted with the excellence of Beowulf.
Lines 914 - 1250: Beowulf's Victory and Rewards
Before you start reading these lines, it might be good to take note of the family dynamics
in the Danish court a bit: The poet notes that Hrothgar, ruler of the Danes, and his
nephew, Hrothulf, are good friends during the banquet given to Beowulf after he slays
Grendel. (p. 67, lines 115 – 118) Earlier in the poem, the poet hints that Heorot will
burn to the grown some day because of a family feud. Here, the poet again hints that
there will be “feud and betrayal” within the family. Later, when Hrothgar’s wife speaks
at the banquet, we’re given a better sense of how that feud might start. Wealhtheow sits
between her husband (Hrothgar) and her nephew (Hrothulf) and makes a speech about
how certain she is that after Hrothgar’s death, Hrothulf will be good to the Hrothgar’s
two younger sons, Hrethic and Hrothmund, who are the proper heirs to his throne. It’s
as though she’s trying to convince Hrothulf to behave honorably when the time comes.
Given the ominous foreshadowing of a family feud, we can guess that Hygelac’s nephew
will try to displace the two sons and take the power of Danish ruler for himself. In
sharp contrast, Beowulf will refuse to take the Geat throne after his uncle, Hygelac, dies,
even though his aunt invites him to do so. Instead, he will act as a guardian to his
nephew, Heardred, until Heardred’s death. Only then will Beowulf agree to become the
ruler of the Geats.
Within that section, you can skim lines 1070 - 1158: The Story of Queen Hildeburh
This is a story about a conflict between the Danes and the Frisians. At the center of the
conflict is poor Hildeburh, a Danish princess who is sister to the Danish leader, Hnaef,
and wife to the king of the Frisians, Finn. After a bloody battle, she mourns the death of
her brother on the Danish side and the death of her son on the Finn side. She orders the
two men to be burned side by side on the same bier. There is a brief truce, which lasts
only a winter, after which the Danes attack again, kill Finn, and bring Hildeburh back to
Denmark. Read it just for the vividly portrayed anguish and gore.

How does Hrothgar reward Beowulf for his victory?

What does Wealtheow ask of Beowulf?
Lines 1250 - 16 87: Grendel's Mother

3. For what purpose does Grendel's mother come to Heorot?

4. How does her style of attack compare to Grendel's?

What does she take with her?

Describe where Grendel and his mother lived?

How does Beowulf's preparation to fight Grendel's mother differ from his
preparation to fight Grendel?

Why is Beowulf at first powerless against Grendel's mother?

How does he finally succeed against her?

How does Beowulf take further revenge against Grendel?

Why do Beowulf's men believe that he is dead?

What spoils does Beowulf take from the monster's lair?
Lines 1688 - 1905: Hrothgar's Speech to Beowulf
We will look at this speech closely in class. Study it on your own. Consider what it is,
according to Hrothgar, that destroys the peace within a kingdom. Be prepared to
discuss it in detail in class.
Lines 1906 - 1999: Beowulf's Homecoming
Quick note: Geatland is Southern Sweden. Beowulf is nephew to the Geat King:
Hygelac. Hygelac is married to Hygd, whose manners and thoughtfulness will be
contrasted in this passage with those of another more infamous queen, Modthryth.

1. For what bad behavior was Queen Modthryth known?
her of her evil ways?

Hygelac has apparently won fame of his own in battle. How?

What was Hygelac's attitude toward Beowulf's expedition before he went?
What ended up curing
Lines 1999 - 2200: Beowulf's Retelling of His Adventures
Within this section, you can skim lines 2020 - 2068 (pp. 139 - 141)
Hygelac has asked Beowulf to retell all of his exploits in Denmark. Beowulf begins by
describing his reception at the Danish court by Hrothgar, his wife Wealhtheow, and their
daughter Freawaru. Before he settles into the main part of his story -- Grendel and
Grendel's mom -- Beowulf digresses for a moment. He tells about Hrothgar’s plan to
marry Freawaru to Ingeld, prince of the Heathobards. Hrothgar is hoping that the
marriage will help settle the feud between the Danes (Shieldings) and Heathobards, but
Beowulf expresses his doubts. He imagines that many of the Danes who go to the
wedding will be wearing “glittering regalia, burnished ring-mail” that they looted in a
battle with the Heathobards years before. When some of the older Heathobards notice
the Danes wearing Heathobard heirlooms, they will remember the way the Danes
massacred them years before, will become bitter and will stir up trouble among the
younger men. Eventually one of those inflamed, young Heathobards will kill one of
Freawaru’s retainers, the feud will be re-ignited, and the love between the bride and
groom will “falter.”

We learn that Grendel was carrying an interesting accessory when he came to
attack Heorot the night that Beowulf arrived. What was it?

On p. 147, the poet alludes both to Beowulf's lack of family connection and to the
feud that will eventually destroy Heorot. Can you find those lines?

6. What was Beowulf's reputation before his trip to Denmark? His bravery in
killing the two monsters and his generosity in sharing the spoils are only two
reasons for his fame afterwards. Why else do people extol Beowulf's virtues?
Lines 2200 - 2220: Beowulf's Rise to Power

How does Beowulf come to be king, and how long does he rule until the dragon
appears?

What awakens the dragon?
Lines 2220 -2669: The Story Behind the Dragon's Hoard
A quick overview of relations between Sweden and Geatland might help you make better
sense of the next 50 pages. Don't sweat the details when you come to these names, but
try to keep this outline of events loosely in mind. You'll enjoy the main events in the
poem a lot more if understand the background against which they are taking place:
Beowulf's father, Ecgtheow, gave Beowulf up to be raised by King Hrethel
(Hygelac's father). Beowulf felt like one of Hrethel's son's, along with Herebeald,
Haethcyn, and Hygelac (who would eventually become Beowulf's king.) Then, in a
terrible accident, Haethcyn killed his brother Herebeald, leaving King Hrethel with a
grief that he could not purge through revenge. (Obviously he couldn't kill one son for
having accidentally killed the other one!)
King Hrethel seems to have died from grief; and after his death, the Swedes and
the Geats began fighting. At Ravenswood, the Swedish King Ongentheow and his sons
famously battled the Geat King Haethcyn and his brother Hygelac. During the fighting,
Ongentheow killed Haethcyn. Then two of Hygelac's warriors --Wulf and Eofor -managed to corner Ongentheow. First Wulf landed a blow that injured Ongentheow;
then Eofor killed him. After this battle, Ongentheow's eldest son Ohthere became the
Swedish king, and Hygelac became the Geat King.
Later Hygelac attacked Friesland, where he was killed. Beowulf, however,
managed to escape, and swim all the way back to Geatland with "thirty suits of battle" he
had taken from the enemy. There, Hygelac's wife offered him the throne. She didn't
believe that her son, Heardred, could keep away foreign, invading armies. Beowulf
refused the throne, however, and offered instead to be a guardian to Heardred.
A short while later, in Sweden, Ohthere's own sons rebelled against their father.
After their attempt to seize power failed, they asked the new Geat King Heardred if they
could take refuge in Geatland. Proving his mother right in her concerns about his
ability to rule, Heardred unwisely granted them refuge. A little while later, Onela,
Ohthere's younger brother, arrived and killed Heardred for allowing the rebels to take
refuge in his country. With Heardred dead, Beowulf finally took the throne.
Eventually, Beowulf also managed to avenge Heardred's death by killing Onela with the
help of an ally named Eadgils.
The poet will allude to bits and pieces of this back and forth feuding over the
remaining pages.

Who stole the goblet, and why?

In "times long gone by," who had put all of the treasure into the barrow, and why?

How long ago had the dragon found the treasure?
Lines 2270 - 2344: The Dragon's Wrath

What did the "goblet thief" do with the goblet?

When does the dragon go out of his den, and what does he do?

How does the dragon get Beowulf's attention, and what is Beowulf's first
response?
Lines 2345 - 2668: Beowulf Looking Back and Forward
You can skip lines 2605 (at the top of 177) - 2626 (end of second stanza on p. 177)

Who is the thirteenth person in the troop that Beowulf brings with him to face the
dragon?

How did Haethcyn accidentally kill Herebeald?

What boast does Beowulf make about his encounter with Dayraven the Frank?
How will his battle with the dragon compare?

What instructions does Beowulf give his men?

What happens when Beowulf makes his first pass with his sword?

What do Beowulf's men do when Beowulf does not instantly kill the dragon?

What does Wiglaf say to his companions?
Lines 2669 - 2728: The Final Battle

Wiglaf and Beowulf suffer some problems with their gear after Wiglaf enters the
battle. Explain.

How do Wiglaf and Beowulf manage to kill the dragon together?

How does the dragon mortally wound Beowulf?
Lines 2729 - 2820: Beowulf's Last Requests

After Wiglaf first finishes laying Beowulf out on the ramparts, Beowulf says that
he would have an easier time dying if Wiglaf would do what?

What does Beowulf want constructed in his honor?
Lines 2821 - 3136: Wiglaf's and the Messenger's Predictions

When the other warriors come out of hiding, what does Wiglaf suggest will be the
consequence of their cowardice?

What dire consequences does the messenger predict?

In his flashback to the battle at Ravenswood, what brutal details does the
messenger recall?

According to the messenger, what will become of the treasure Beowulf won?

What "curse" had the people who buried the treasure laid upon it?

According to the Wiglaf, what advice had Beowulf been given about fighting the
dragon?

What do they do with the dragon?
Lines 3137 - end: Beowulf's Funeral

What vision of the future does the Geat woman evoke in her funeral song?

What do they do with Beowulf's remains?

What do they do with the treasure?
Beowulf Resources
You may not use this packet on quizzes but will find it helpful as a tool to refer to before,
during and after reading. You can expect a pop quiz on the reading any day (and, as
always, may use handwritten notes on the quiz). I will expect you to know the names of
the main characters and the details of the main thread of the plot. I will expect you to be
generally familiar with the characters and events in those passages that I have
summarized and indicated that you can skim.
Family Trees from back of book
Dave Barry on Beowulf:
"If my memory serves me correctly (and I believe it does, because I am
copying this from the encyclopedia) Beowulf is an Old English epic poem
concerning a hero who freed the court of the Danish king Hrothgar from the
ravages of the ogre Grendel and Grendel's mother and thus became king of the
Geats. This raises questions, including: Why would anybody want to be king
of the Geats? I mean, the word 'Geat' sounds like an insult, doesn't it? As
in: 'Some stupid Geat put salami in the disk drive!' (Let me state, before I
get a bunch of hate mail, that I myself am two-thirds Geatish.)"
Terms to remember....
Scop -- the Old English term for the poet, which means "the maker" (from the verb scieppan, "to shape, to
make"). The poet shapes the poem, but he doesn't necessarily imagine or invent the story, which is likely to
be traditional in content.
Alliteration -- the repetition of consonant sounds or vowel sounds in closely-placed words or syllables.
Since Anglo-Saxon poetry does not use rhyme, alliteration is a prime sound component in a line of AngloSaxon verse.
Caesura -- the space or pause in the middle of a line of Anglo-Saxon poetry that divides it into two halflines or hemistichs. In Beowulf, each half-line contains two stressed syllables (and an indefinite number of
unstressed syllables). Thus, each verse line of Beowulf contains four accented syllables and a varying
number of unaccented syllables.
Kenning -- a figurative phrase that is a sort of simile, in which an item is described (often in terms of its
function or action) without naming it. Examples from Beowulf: the sea is called "the swan-road" and "the
whale-road"; a king is called "the ring-giver"; Hildeburh is called "weaver of peace." A modern kenning
still in wide use is to call a large car a "gas-guzzler."
Litotes -- a deliberately steep understatement, often stated as a negative. Thus, the lake that is is the home
of Grendel's mother is described thus: "That is no good place," which is one way of saying this lake is is a
black, fearful, monster-infested pool of infamy. Similarly, one of the overwhelming praises of Beowulf is
to say he "never cut down [killed]/ a comrade who was drunk," which means that Beowulf was a pretty
trustworthy fellow in a pinch.
Much information here drawn from Ms. Golding's hand-outs