Name:
Anglo-Saxon Literature: BEOWULF
Grendel
1. Who is Hrothgar?
2. What is Herot?
3. Describe Grendel using 4 specific details from the text.
a)
b)
c)
d)
4. What irritates Grendel and becomes his motive for attacking Herot?
5. Give a detail of Grendel’s attack.
6. Name a specific ancient ancestor of Grendel.
7. What happens to Herot?
Beowulf
8. Who is Beowulf?
9. Name the country from which Beowulf comes.
10. Who is Higlac, and how is Beowulf related to him?
11. What does Beowulf decide to do? Why?
12. Why did Beowulf’s kinsmen urge him to go?
13. How did Beowulf hear about the wrath of Grendel?
14. What request does Beowulf make of Hrothgar? (Be specific)
15. Why wouldn’t the Danes have to sew shrouds for the Geats if Grendel triumphs?
(SHROUDS are cloth to cover dead bodies before burial)
Grendel will carry their bloody flesh to the moors, crunch their bones, and smear torn
scraps of skin on the walls of his den (lair). In other words, there won’t be anything to
bury!
The Battle with Grendel
16. When does Grendel arrive at Herot?
17. From where does Grendel come?
18. What surprises Grendel when he comes in contact with Beowulf?
19. Why could the men’s swords not harm Grendel?
20. How does Beowulf kill Grendel?
21. What does Beowulf do after Grendel escapes? Why?
22. Give 2 descriptions (short phrases) of Grendel in this section.
23. List 4 very specific details of Herot found in this section.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Grendel’s Mother
24. Describe Grendel’s lair. (give 3 specific details)
25. What is Grendel’s mother’s motivation for going to Herot? Be specific.
26. After celebrating Beowulf’s victory, what occurs at Herot?
27. Name 2 things Grendel’s mother carried back to her lair from Herot.
28. What do the Danes entreat Beowulf to do? What would be his reward?
1). To go to Grendel’s mother’s lair to kill her (and save them)
2). They would pay him with “gold, heaped up treasure.”
(He DID NOT get paid anything for killing Grendel b/c Hrothgar once saved
Beowulf’s father and the Geats from attack; therefore, Beowulf returned the favor by
killing Grendel “for free.”)
The Battle with Grendel’s Mother
29. Where does Beowulf find Grendel’s mother?
30. What protects him from her claws?
31. What was Beowulf’s motivation in accomplishing this deed?
32. What happens to Beowulf’s helmet?
33. How does Beowulf kill Grendel’s mother? What was the exact weapon?
34. After Beowulf kills her, what does he do before leaving the lair?
35. What do the Danes who are observing at the lake do? Why?
36. What do the Geats do?
37. What 2 items does Beowulf carry with him back to Herot?
The Last Battle (a dragon attacks because a thief stole from him)
38. What is Beowulf’s future when he returns to Geatland?
39. Beowulf’s last enemy to fight is
40. What happens when Beowulf strikes his enemy with his sword?
41. What do Beowulf’s comrades do in this battle?
42. Who is his loyal soldier?
Death of Beowulf
43. How is the enemy defeated?
44. What is Beowulf’s request of Wiglaf?
45. What happens to Beowulf? What is his desire?
46. What is the fate of Wiglaf?
Mourning Beowulf
47. What do the Geats do to honor the wishes of Beowulf?
48. Why does Beowulf want this done?
49. In your own words, state a THEME which seems to have been presented in the
reading of this story.
.
Know as well:
Pagan/Christian
Archetypes
Caesura
Kennings
Epithets
Foil
Alliterations