Beowulf
Study Questions/Essay Topics
Kirk
Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How is Beowulf structured? How does this structure relate to the theme or themes of the work as a
whole?
Answer for Study Question #1
Beowulf is loosely divided into three parts, each of which centers around Beowulf’s fight with a
particular monster: first Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, then the dragon. One can argue that this
structure relates to the theme of the epic in that each monster presents a specific moral challenge
against which the Anglo-Saxon heroic code can be measured and tested. Beowulf’s fight with Grendel
evokes the importance of reputation as a means of expanding one’s existence beyond death.
Grendel’s great and terrifying nature ensures that Beowulf will long be celebrated for his heroic
conquering of this foe. His subsequent encounter with Grendel’s mother evokes the importance of
vengeance. Just as Beowulf exacts revenge upon Grendel for killing Hrothgar’s men, so too must
Grendel’s mother seek to purge her grief by slaying her son’s murderer. Beowulf’s final encounter
with the dragon evokes a heroic approach to wyrd, or fate. Though he recognizes that his time has
come and that he will thus not survive his clash with the dragon, he bravely embraces his duty to
protect his people, sacrificing his life to save them.
Alternatively, one might make a division of the text into two parts, examining youth and old age as
the two distinctive phases of Beowulf’s life. Along these lines, the gap of fifty years between the first
two conflicts and the last marks the dividing line. One of the main thematic points highlighted by
such a division is the difference in responsibilities of the warrior and of the king. As a young warrior,
Beowulf is free to travel afar to protect others, but as an old king, he must commit himself to guard
his own people. Additionally, whereas Beowulf focuses on the heroic life early on, seeking to make a
name for himself, he must focus on fate and the maintenance of his reputation late in life.
2. Beowulf is set in a male-dominated world full of violence and danger. What role does patriarchal
history play in this world? Why does it matter to the warriors who their ancestors were?
Answer for Study Question #2
The obsession with patriarchal history manifests itself throughout Beowulf, which opens by tracing
Hrothgar’s male ancestry and constantly refers to characters as the sons of their fathers. An
awareness of family lineage is one way in which the heroic code integrates itself into the warriors’
most basic sense of identity. By placing such an emphasis on who their fathers were and how their
fathers acted, the men of Beowulf bind themselves to a cycle of necessity governed by the heroic
code. For example, because Beowulf’s father owed a debt of loyalty to Hrothgar, Beowulf himself
owes a debt of loyalty to Hrothgar. In this way, patriarchal history works to concretize and
strengthen the warrior code in a world full of uncertainty and fear.
One might contrast this socially accepted version of patriarchal history with the various alternative
models that the poem presents. Grendel, for example, descends from Cain, the biblical icon of
familial disloyalty, and the avenging of his death is undertaken by a female relative rather than a
male one. Examples of family discontinuity abound as well. For instance, Shield Sheafson is an
orphan, and the Last Survivor represents the end of an entire race. Beowulf is similar to both of these
characters—his father died while Beowulf was still young, and Beowulf himself dies without an heir.
The anxiety about succession focuses attention on the ties between generations. Both Hrothgar and
Hygelac depend on the loyalty of others if their sons are to inherit their respective kingships. All of
these concerns help emphasize the importance of family heritage as a cultural value.
Beowulf
Study Questions/Essay Topics
Kirk
3. What role does religion play in Beowulf?
Answer for Study Question #3
The Beowulf story has its roots in a pagan Saxon past, but by the time the epic was written down,
almost all Anglo-Saxons had converted to Christianity. As a result, the Beowulf poet is at pains to
resolve his Christian beliefs with the often quite un-Christian behavior of his characters. This tension
leads to frequent asides about God, hell, and heaven—and to many allusions to the Old Testament
throughout the work. In the end, however, the conflict proves simply irresolvable. Beowulf doesn’t
lead a particularly good life by Christian standards, but the poet cannot help but revere him. Though
some of Beowulf’s values—such as his dedication to his people and his willingness to dole out
treasure—conceivably overlap with Christian values, he ultimately lives for the preservation of
earthly glory after death, not for entrance into heaven. Though his death in the encounter with the
dragon clearly proves his mortality (and perhaps moral fallibility), the poem itself stands as a
testament to the raw greatness of his life, ensuring his ascension into the secular heaven of warrior
legend.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What role does the mead-hall play in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture? What is the proper relationship
between a lord and his warriors? What examples can you find throughout Beowulf?
2. What is the role of women in the heroic culture of Beowulf?
3. How does treasure function in Beowulf? How do the characters and the poet seem to feel about the
element of gold, as it appears throughout the poem?
4. What role do the digressions play in Beowulf? What light do they shed on the main action?
5. Is Beowulf an ideal hero and king? Is there anything lacking in his character?
6. Would you say that the characters in Beowulf are as psychologically complex those in modern
works of literature? Do they undergo any development as the poem progresses?