BEOWULF REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Who was Shield Sheafson?
2. How did Shield become King of the Danes?
3. Who is the hell-whisperer?
4. Why does Grendel not want men to feast at Heorot?
5. Who was Beow?
6. How did the dragon get its treasure?
7. Where did Beowulf come from?
8. What is a thane?
9. What started the dragon on its rampage?
10. What is a barrow?
11. What is an epic poem?
12. What is alliteration?
13. Who was Halfdane’s son?
14. Who was Aeschere?
15. Of whom is Grendel a descendent?
16. What is a kenning?
17. Describe Hrothgar as a king.
18. Who or what was Hrunting?
19. Who is Wiglaf?
20. What is a lair?
21. What is a scop?
22. What is mead?
23. Who is the “swamp thing from hell”?
24. Describe Shield Sheafson’s funeral.
25. Why did Beowulf lose to Breca in the swimming match?
26. How has Beowulf established his reputation prior to coming to Denmark?
27. Give an example of words that show alliteration.
28. What is a wergild?
29. Who was Ecgtheow?
30. How long was Beowulf king of the Geats?
31. Who was Wealhtheow?
32. When Hygelac’s widow asked Beowulf to be king after Hygelac’s death instead of her own
son, what was his response?
33. Why does Wiglaf feel that the Geats will be destroyed by other tribes?
34. What was Wealhtheow’s response when Hrothgar announced his apparent intentions to
adopt Beowulf?
35. What advice does Hrothgar give to Beowulf after Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother?
36. Why are Beowulf’s companions unable to help him in fighting Grendel?
37. Who was Unferth?
38. How long does it take Beowulf to reach Grendel’s lair?
39. Who were the Celts?
40. Who was Wulfgar?
41. Who was Hygelac?
42. Who were the Shieldings?
43. What did a king give loyal thanes as a reward?
44. For how long does Grendel terrorize Heorot?
45. Were the Celts Germanic barbarians?
46. What special equipment does Beowulf take to fight the dragon?
47. What is the origin of the word English?
48. Why did Hrothgar have Heorot built?
49. What puzzles the Danish coast-guard when Beowulf and the Geats arrive in Denmark?
50. Why does Beowulf allow Grendel to eat a Geat?
51. What insults does Beowulf make against Unferth and the Danes?
52. Describe the lair of Grendel and his mother.
53. What is Grendel’s reaction when Beowulf grabs his arm?
54. What does Beowulf use to kill Grendel’s mother?
55. What happens immediately after Grendel’s mother’s head is chopped off?
56. What souvenirs does Beowulf take back to Heorot after killing Grendel’s mother?
57. To whom does Beowulf leave his armor, helmet, and shield after the dragon kills him?
58. Name one reward Beowulf receives.
59. What does Beowulf do with Grendel’s arm?
60. What does Beowulf ask Wiglaf to do with the dragon’s treasure hoard?
61. Why is Unferth jealous of Beowulf?
62. Who was Breca?
63. Give an example of an understatement.
64. Who eventually Christianized the Anglo-Saxon people?
65. What is one of the controversies over the writing of Beowulf?
66. What is a gold-giver?
67. Describe a typical evening in a mead hall.
68. What specifications does Beowulf give for hid fighting Grendel?
59. What do the men on the banks of Grendel’s lake conclude when they see blood spreading
out on the waves?
70. Are the Geats confident that Beowulf will be able to defeat Grendel?
71. What does Beowulf take with him when he fights Grendel’s mother?
72. Who was Ecgtheow’s son?
73. What is Hrothgar’s reaction upon being told that some Geats have come to fight Grendel?
74. Is Beowulf afraid of death?
75. How does Beowulf feel about his chances against the dragon?
76. Give an example that shows how Germanic men always had to be on their guard.
77. Why does Hrothgar give Beowulf such a long speech after his defeat of Grendel’s mother?
78. How does Beowulf behave when returning Hrunting to Unferth?
79. How long was Hrothgar king before Beowulf came to Denmark?
80. What offer does Beowulf make to Hrothgar before returning to Geatland?
81. What is Beowulf’s relationship to his king, Hygelac?
82. Why didn’t Beowulf stop Grendel’s mother before she attacked Aeschere?
83. How was Beowulf able to kill the dragon?
84. Who or what was Naegling?
85. What does Beowulf do immediately after returning to Geatland?
86. Where was Geatland located?
87. Approximately how long is Beowulf?
88. Why is Beowulf important?
89. What is a lyric poem?
90. In the poem “The Wanderer,” why is the wanderer wandering?