Beowulf: “Grendel’s Mother”
Read lines 397 – 417.
1. Who has “reversed / The bright vane of luck”?
2. What is the significance of the “single victim”?
3. How do adjectives and verbs capture the ferocity of battle?
Read lines 425-446.
4. In what sort of place does Grendel’s mother live?
5. What details of setting help to create the ominous mood?
Beowulf: “The Battle with Grendel’s Mother”
Read lines 450-458.
6. What specific details suggest that the underwater lair of Grendel’s mother is an
evil place?
Read lines 458-512.
7. Where does the battle take place?
8. How does the poet create suspense in the narrative?
9. In what ways is the account of the struggle between Beowulf and Grendel’s
mother very contemporary?
Read lines 540-583:
10. What are the Danes and the Geats doing while Beowulf is battling Grendel’s
mother?
11. What shifts in setting occur in this passage? How do they heighten the narrative
tension?
Text Analysis:
Clarify: Why does Hrothgar ask Beowulf to battle Grendel’s mother?
Summarize: what does Beowulf do after he kills Grendel’s mother?
Compare and Contrast: Compare the two monsters. Does the behavior of Grendel’s
mother seem as wicked or unreasonable as Grendel’s behavior? Support your opinion
with evidence from the text.