“Beowulf” Reading Questions
Chps. 19-23
Directions: answer 10 question on a separate piece of paper using complete sentences
1. What is known about Grendel’s mother’s history? Describe her attack.
2. What is Hrothgar's response?
3. What does Hrothgar ask Beowulf to do?
4. How does Beowulf respond?
5. Describe the lake and what is left of Esher.
6. What happens at the mere before Beowulf enters it?
7. What does Unferth give Beowulf? Why?
8. According to Beowulf, what opportunity has Unferth missed?
9. What request does Beowulf make before entering the lake?
10. What happens when Beowulf enters the lake?
11. Describe the battle between Beowulf and Grendel's mother.
12. At one point Beowulf is on the floor, with Grendel's mother sitting on him and drawing her
knife. How does Beowulf escape?
13. How does Beowulf defeat her? W hat weapon does he use? What happens when she dies?
14. What happens to the sword he used to kill her and what does Beowulf do before he swims
back to land?
15. How does the chapter end?
“Beowulf” Reading Questions
Chps. 24-27
1. To what does Beowulf attribute his victory? Why?
What two things does Beowulf present to Hrothgar?
What message does Hrothgar have for Beowulf?
2. What and why does he tell us about Hermod?
3. Why and how did Hermod die?
4. What lesson does Hrothgar teach with the Hermod example?
5. What does Beowulf give to Unferth as he leaves?
6. Describe Beowulf's departure.
7. What future does Hrothgar predict for Beowulf?
8. Who is Hygd and why is she not like Modthryth?
9. Beowulf reports to Hygelac that Hrothgar may marry his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld.
Why does he plan to do that? What does Beowulf expect the result will be? (Remember
the Finn story, lines 1070-1158.)
10. How does Beowulf think the peace will be broken?
11. Is this the type of report we expected from the hero Beowulf, or are we seeing a new side
of him?
Part 19 to Part 26—Grendel's Mother
Grendel's mother comes to Herot to avenge Grendel. She escapes, taking Esher, Hrothgar's
trusted lieutenant. Hrothgar laments the loss of Esher, along with the other sorrows Grendel and
his mother have inflicted on Herot. He asks again for Beowulf's help. Beowulf agrees to avenge
Esher. Hrothgar leads Beowulf and his own men to the bloody lake, the abode of Grendel and his
mother. The men discover Esher's head on a cliff above the lake. Unferth gives Beowulf his
sword, Hrunting, and Beowulf dives into the lake to attack Grendel's mother. After swimming
for hours, he finds her. Like Grendel, she is impervious to weapons—Hrunting is useless. In the
heat of battle, he finds a magic sword hanging on the wall and kills Grendel's mother with it. He
then finds Grendel's body and severs the monster's head. When the men onshore see blood rise to
the surface of the lake, they assume Beowulf has been killed, and the Danes return to Herot. The
Geats wait sadly, believing the worst. Beowulf's magic sword melts, but he returns to shore with
the hilt and Grendel's head, leaving behind massive amounts of treasure. Beowulf and the Geats
take their "terrible trophy" to Herot. Beowulf offers the magic sword's hilt to Hrothgar, who
warns Beowulf against pride and selfishness. Beowulf and his men prepare to return home.