ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD
BEOWULF
I.
Matching.
___ l. King of Geats
___ 2. the monster
___ 3. the epic hero
___ 4. King of Denmark
___ 5. the mead hall
II.
A.
___ 6.
___ 7.
___ 8.
___ 9.
___10.
a. Grendel
b. Higlac
c. Beowulf
d. Herot
e. Hrothgar
Matching of terms
killing one’s brother
a poet or storyteller
repetition of beginning consonant sounds
pause in a line of poetry
metaphorical descriptive word compound
a. kenning
b. alliteration
c. fratricide
d. caesura
e. scop
B.
___11. practice of payment for life of loved one a. wyrd
___12. fate or one’s lot in life
b. wergild
___13. long narrative poem about the deeds of
c. epic
a great hero
d. comitatus
___14. armor made of tiny mesh rings
e. mail shirt
III.
Matching Again
___15. His invasion brought an end to the period
___16. Religion of Celts (belief in matter
possessing a spirit)
___17. They invaded Britain in 1st century; left
around 410.
___18. Early inhabitants of Britain
___19. Unified Britain; promoted education
and Anglo-Saxon
___20. Another name for the Anglo-Saxon Period
___21. Brought Christianity to England
___22. Known as father of English history
___23. Came from Germany and Denmark
around 449.
___24. Priestly intermediaries of Celts
IV.
a. Alfred
b. William of Normandy
c. Celts
d. Romans
e. animism
a. Angles, Saxons, Jutes
b. Dark Ages
c. Venerable Bede
d. St. Augustine
e. Druids
True or False. Use A for True and B for False
__25. The Gaels settled in Ireland.
__26. The Druids invented Beowulf.
__27. The mead hall was the center of Anglo-Saxon social life.
1
__28.
__29.
__30.
__31.
__32.
__33.
__34.
__35.
V.
Beowulf is jealous of Hrothgar’s wealth.
Beowulf vows to fight Grendel with his bare hands.
Anglo-Saxons liked for their heroes to be boastful.
Beowulf is set in Britain.
Grendel is descended from Cain.
Grendel’s raids have emptied the mead hall.
Beowulf comes from across the sea to fight Grendel.
Beowulf was first written down around 750 A.D.
Multiple Choice.
___ 36. Early inhabitants of Britain were called
a. Britons
b. Gauls .c. Vikings d. Geats
___ 37. The time span of the Anglo-Saxon Period is
a. 450-1066
b. 449-1066
c. 400-1066
d. 410-1100
___38. Beowulf is
a. a folk and secondary epic b. a primary and literary epic
c. a folk and primary epic d. a literary and secondary epic
___39. The following are supernatural elements in the poem EXCEPT
a. lake of blood b. the monster’s strength c. Beowulf’s strength
d. the tower by the sea
___40. Herot stands empty for
a. 12 years
b. 14 years
c. 50 years
d. 15 years
___41. One of the principal functions of the scop was
a. to preserve the legends b. to lead religious prayers c. to translate
Latin psalms
d. to amuse the crowd
___42. Grendel never touches Hrothgar’s throne because
a. he is afraid of Hrothgar’s strength
b. the throne is protected by God
c. the throne has too many guards
d. he prefers to hurt Hrothgar’s men
___43. How many Geats does Grendel kill?
a. 30 b. 14 c. 12 d. 1
___44. Old English has contributed to English
a. scientific terms
b. common nouns and verbs
c. abstract words
___45. Grendel most clearly represents the forces of
a. revenge
b. ambition
c. evil d. jealousy
___46. The early Anglo-Saxons believed one could transcend fate by
a. dying in battle
b. becoming a monk
c. honoring God
d. achieving fame
___47. The story of Beowulf promotes the idea that
a. the survival of civilization depends upon people being interdependent
b. good does not always transcend evil
c. society should not exclude individuals
d. fate is even more powerful than God
___48. The modern English word weird probably comes from the Old
English word for
a. minstrel
b. Viking
c. the sea
d. fate
___49. The Celts of Britain were also called
a. Britons
b. Vikings
c. Normans
Jutes
2
___50. The author of Beowulf is
a. unknown
b. Venerable Bede
c. Alfred the Great
d. a monk
___51. The wasteland symbolizes
a. risk and danger
b. the home of evil
c. fame d. heat
___52. Fire is a symbol of good and evil just as ___ is/are.
a. treasure
b. light and dark
c. the sea
d. Herot
___53. The sea symbolizes
a. good b. fame c. monsters
d. risk, danger, and the unknown
___54. Beowulf tells the king about
a. his father’s last wishes
b. his family ancestry c. his previous
accomplishments d. his superior weaponry
___55. Beowulf keeps one part of Grendel. Which part?
a. his leg
b. his tail
c. his arm
d. his hand
___56. Grendel disappears into
a. the sea
b. a lake of boiling blood
c. a large cave
d. a hole in the marsh
___57. Anglo-Saxon poetry contained all of the following except
a. rhyme
b. kennings
c. alliteration d. caesuras
___58. Beowulf experiences all of the following when he goes to Grendel’s
mother’s lair except
a. sea serpents b. swimming for hours c. his sword breaking
d. a wound to the throat
___59. Beowulf dies from
a. old age
b. a wound to the neck c. the fire from the dragon
d. falling on his sword
___60. Which sound provides alliteration?
“Great prince stood firm, unmoving, prepared...”
a. g
b. p
c. f
d. m
___61. Which line is an example of a kenning?
a. “And the Geats’ ring giver still did not boast of glorious victories.”
b. “Then Beowulf rose, still brave and strong...”
c. “...Beowulf, A prince of the Geats had killed Grendel.”
d. “...This was a different Herot than the hall he had emptied.”
____62. Between which words does a caesura occur?
“To protect their prince if they could. Their courage
a. protect/Their
b. could./Their
c. prince/if
d. Their/courage
____63. All of the following are pagan elements except
a. sacrifices to the old stone gods
b. throne was protected by God
c. Beowulf’s body put on a funeral pyre
d. references to fate
3
____64. All of the following is true about the primary epic except
a. it is passed down orally
b. it tells the story of a people with whom the writer lived
c. it originated in legend
d. it is the work of a skilled writer/craftsman
_____65. Which is not a theme of the work?
a. Interdependence is necessary in order for society to survive.
b. Qualities such as boasting ensure a society’s survival.
c. Comitatus is important for society in Anglo-Saxon times.
d. It is necessary to fight against the forces of the wasteland.
_____66. Which is not true?
a. Beo means bear
b. Beowulf is an ideal Christian hero.
c. Beowulf is derived from a Biblical character,
d. There was a sun god named Beowulf in mythology.
_____67. Which is a dead language?
a. Italian b. French c. Latin d. English
_____68. Which symbol pairing is false?
a. light/good b. monster/evil c. treasure/achievement d. fire/power
_____69. The time span of Beowulf is
a. 20 years b.50 years c. 3 days d. 5 years
_____70. Hrunting is
a. the Geats' mead hall
b. a sword given to Beowulf by Unferth
c. a giant sword hung on the wall of Grendel’s mother’s lair
d. a place in Geatland that Beowulf returns to
_____71. Which is not a kenning?
a. bone house b. whale road c. murky water d. shelterer of warriors
_____72. In Beowulf, why does Beowulf sail with his chosen companions to Hrothgar’s
kingdom?
a. to bring home treasures from that rich kingdom
b.to help Hrothgar by destroying a monster
c. to win glory by slaying a fire-breathing dragon
d.to take over Higlac’s throne
_____73. From which fact can the reader infer that Beowulf from Beowulf is
honorable?
a. Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none.
b.Higlac is Beowulf’s cousin.
c. Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats.
d.Beowulf vows to ambush Grendel and destroy the monster.
4
_____74. Who helped Beowulf fight the dragon?
a. . God b. Unferth c. Wiggle d. Hrothgar
______75. How does Beowulf die?
a. from the fire dragon b. his body is burned to death c. of old
age d. from Grendel’s mother’s wound
______76. Where is Geatland?
a. southern Sweden b.Norway c. present day Denmark
d. southern England
______77. Beowulf is not allowed to
a. take his weapons with him to visit Hrothgar
b. return home to get more men to help him
c. kill Grendel with a sword
d. taunt Unferth in return for his insults
______78. Beowulf leaves a legacy of
a. gold and riches for his people
b. a tomb that becomes a lighthouse to help sailors see the cliffs
c. many sons behind to follow his example
d. many accomplishments
_____79. Immortality can be achieved in Anglo-Saxon times
by
a. dying young b. becoming immortalized in the scop’s tales c.
leaving behind a volume of verse d. going to heaven
80. Great Britain has been settled and invaded by all of the
following except
a. Romans b. Vikings c. Greeks d. Normans
81. The Christian monasteries were important to Anglo-Saxon
life by
a. developing innovative agricultural methods
b. reforming criminals and taking in the homeless
c. abolishing the remnants of Anglo-Saxon paganism
d. promoting learning and and preserving literary works
82. Why does Wiglaf tell his comrades they should help
Beowulf?
a. They had promised to help Beowulf when he needed them.
b. Together they can win and get the dragon’s gold.
c. Beowulf is too old anymore to fight on his own.
d. They can share Beowulf’s fame if they kill the dragon.
83. Which of the following is false?
a. The poem’s manuscript that was on display in the British
Museum was destroyed.
b. The poem was composed in the 700s.
c. It was written down by one or two monks in 1000 AD.
d. It was not widely read until the 20th century.
5
84. The poem represents these threats to a heroic society except for
a. revenge b. cruelty c. envy d. greed
85. What does Beowulf say about fate?
a. It will unwind as it must.
b. It will help him fulfill his goal.
c. It will serve him well because his purpose is clear and strong.
d. He scorns it or turns his back on it.
86. Which is not an example of a kenning?
a. sky candle
b. battle dew
c. crimson flowers
d. shield and protector
e. heaven’s high arch
87. Which sentence contains alliteration?
a. The heathen’s only hope, hell
b. Up from the miasma of the swamp
c. Wandering through the misty night in the cold
d. And the old warriors made sacrifices to the old gods
88. The Romans are responsible for what contributions to Anglo-Saxon culture?
a. roads, walls, language, Christianity
b. Hadrian’s Wall, Christianity, laws
c. Hadrian’s walls, defensive methods, weapons, monasteries
d. Christianity, towns, Old English, weaponry
89. The author of the poem is
a. a monk b. unknown c. a woman d. two monks
90. Grendel’s mother kills
a. Grendel
b. Beowulf
c. Wulfgar
d. Brecca
e. Hrothgar’s best friend
91. Unferth accuses Beowulf of
a. Killing his brothers
b. Losing a wrestling match
c. Losing a swimming match
d. Hurting his mother
e. Being a bad person
92. One trait of an epic that is not present in Beowulf is
a. states theme at the beginning
b. characters of noble birth
c. involves fate of many people
d. God comes to the aid of one side
e. involves the deeds of a great hero
6
93. Hrothgar is more inclined to accept Beowulf’s offer for help because
a. Beowulf is a threatening presence
b. Beowulf had helped him many years ago
c. He had helped Beowulf’s father at one time
d. Beowulf is such an important figure
94. The work Beowulf is important for all of the following EXCEPT
a. it is a good story
b. it is the first work we have written in English
c. It tells us about the lives of Anglo-Saxons
d. It has Biblical allusions
95. The period of language we are in now is
a. Early
b. Modern
c. Late Modern
d. Middle
True or False Use A for true and B for false.
96. Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Romans.
97. Welthow serves Beowulf first.
98. Hadrian’s Wall was built to keep out the Picts and the Scots.
99. The dragon symbolized the Vikings.
100. The story encourages the importance of brotherhood.
Essay: See other page.
7
8