Beowulf

Page 38 (About Beowulf)

1. Before there were books, how were stories passed along?

2. Where does the action in Beowulf take place?

3. When was Beowulf finally written down?

4. Where is Beowulf from?

5. Whose banquet hall must Beowulf save?

6. What is the purpose of the Electronic Beowulf Project?

Page 38 (Background for Understanding)

7.What are the three major differences between Paganism and Christianity?

8. What was England in the process of changing from at the time Beowulf was written?

Page 39 (Grammar and Style)

9. What are "appositive phrases"?

Page 39 (Literary Focus)

10. What is an epic? Can you think of another epic that you have read in school?

Page 39 (Reading Strategy)

11. What does it mean to "paraphrase"?

Page 40 (The Wrath of Grendel)

12. Where does the selection open?

13. Who or what is Grendel?

14. Why is Grendel growling in pain (lines 2-4)?

15. Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain. According to the Bible, who was Cain?

Page 41 (The Wrath of Grendel)

16. Critical Viewing: Analyze the artist's use of details to make Grendel look fearsome. What features does the artist use?

Page 42 (The Wrath of Grendel)

17. What are the men doing when Grendel enters the hall (line 33)?

18. How many men does Beowulf snatch up and kill (line 37)?

19. How many years does Hrothgar's hall remain empty?

20. What is the meaning of the term "reparation" (build vocabulary)?

Page 43 (The Wrath of Grendel)

21. Why does Grendel not touch the throne of Hrothgar?

22. What does "solace" mean?

Page 43 (The Coming of Beowulf)

23. Who is Higlac? How is he related to Beowulf (line 109)?

24. How many men does Beowulf bring with him to Denmark?

Page 44 (The Coming of Beowulf)

25. Who do Beowulf's men give thanks to for their safe journey?

26. Why has the Danish guard been watching the cliffs? What is he looking out for (lines 155-156)?

Page 45 (The Coming of Beowulf)

27. What does Beowulf say his reason is for coming to Denmark?

28. What do Beowulf and their men have on their helmets?

Page 46 (The Coming of Beowulf)

29. What are "mead-halls"?

30. How many giants does Beowulf say he has captured (lines 248-249)?

31. What does Beowulf say that he does not need while fighting Grendel (lines 263-264)?

Page 47 (The Coming of Beowulf)

32. What does Beowulf want done with his mail (armor) if he is killed by Grendel?

Page 47 (The Battle with Grendel)

33. What does Beowulf do while his men sleep in the hall?

Page 48 (The Battle with Grendel)

34. What does Beowulf do with the blood of the first of Beowulf's men he kills (line 317)?

35. What is Grendel's first thought when Beowulf grabs on to him (line 330)?

36. Whose screams are the Danes awakened by (line 360)?

Page 49 (The Battle with Grendel)

37. According to the story, who is the strongest man on earth (lines 363-365)?

38. Why can't Beowulf's men hurt Grendel with their swords (lines 376-378)?

39. What does Beowulf do to Grendel's elbow? What does Grendel do next (lines 390-394)?

40. What do the men do with Grendel's arm (lines 409-410)?

Page 50 (The Monster's Lair)

41. What does Grendel's mother do in retaliation to the men?

42. What does the lake that Grendel and his mother live in look like at night (lines 431-432)?

43. What do the Dane's ask Beowulf to do? What do they say they will reward him with (lines 445-448)?

Page 51 (The Battle with Grendel's Mother)

44. What does Beowulf resolve to do?

45. What type of creatures do Beowulf and his men encounter at the lake?

46. What does Beowulf want Hrothgar to do for his men if he dies (lines 453-457)?

47. What does Beowulf want done with the gifts he has been given (lines 457-458)?

48. Who is Unferth? What does Beowulf say he will leave him if he dies?

49. Where does Grendel's mother decide to take Beowulf after grabbing hold of him at the bottom of the lake (lines 479-480)?

50. Who or what starts attacking Beowulf as he is being dragged away (lines 481-484)?

Page 52 (The Battle with Grendel's Mother)

51. Where does Beowulf end up? How would you describe this place (lines 485-490)?

52. What is Beowulf's sword (Hrunting) unable to do to Grendel's Mother (lines 495-497)?

53. What does Beowulf decide to use after his sword fails (lines 506-507)?

54. What stops Grendel's blade from penetrating Beowulf's chest (lines 521-522)?

55. What does Beowulf notice hanging on the wall (lines 530-531)?

56. What does the word "massive" mean? Use the word in a sentence.

Page 53 (The Battle with Grendel's Mother)

57. Where does Beowulf strike Grendel's mother with the sword (lines 539-540)?

58. What does the word "loathsome" mean? Use it in a sentence. 

59. What does Beowulf do to Grendel after he finds him (lines 560-562)?

60. What do the Danes believe happened to Beowulf (lines 571-572)?

61. What do the Geats (Beowulf's men) do after the Danes leave (line 576)?

Page 54 (The Battle with Grendel's Mother)

62. What happens to the lake after Grendel and his mother are killed?

63. Who do Beowulf's men thank when they find out that he is alive (lines 598-599)?

64. What does Beowulf present to King Hrothgar when he returns to Herot (lines 617-620)?

Page 54 (The Last Battle) 

65. After returning home to Geatland, what does Beowulf eventually become?

66. How long does Beowulf rule Geatland?

67. What begins to menace Beowulf's kingdom?

Page 55 (The Last Battle)

68. Unlike Grendel, why does Beowulf feel no shame in using a shield and sword against the dragon (lines 630-635)?

Page 56 (The Last Battle)

69. What does Beowulf say will belong to him after he defeats the dragon (lines 688-691)?

70. What begins to happen to Beowulf's shield as he is deflecting the dragon fire (lines 682-684)?

71. What happens to Beowulf's sword when he strikes the dragon (lines 688-691)?

Page 57 (The Last Battle)

72. What do Beowulf's people do when he begins losing the battle with the dragon (lines 708-710)?

73. Who is the only follower who does not leave Beowulf (lines 711-714)?

Page 58 (The Last Battle)

74. Who is Wiglaf's father? What did Wiglaf inherit from him (lines 735-737)?

75. What does Wiglaf say he remembers boasting about with the other warriors (lines 745-748)?

76. What does Wiglaf say he would rather have happen than watch Beowulf "swirling in flames" (lines 763-764)?

Page 59 (The Spoils)

77. Who kills the dragon alongside Beowulf?

78. Beowulf suffers a fatal wound while fighting the dragon. What is Beowulf's last request?

79. Describe the types of treasure that Wiglaf finds within the tower (lines 781-783).

80. What is Wiglaf hoping as he is on his way to deliver the treasure to Beowulf (lines 806-809)?

81. Who does Beowulf thank for the treasure (lines 816-817)?

Page 60 (The Spoils)

82. What does Beowulf ask Wiglaf to have his people build him (line 824)? What does Beowulf want it to be called (lines 828-829)?

83. What will the Geats do with Beowulf's body after he dies (line 825 / line 841)?

Page 60 (The Farewell)

84. Who does Wiglaf denounce (punish)?

Page 61 (The Farewell)

85.) How long does it take the Geats to build Beowulf's monument (line 846)?

Check Your Comprehension (Review)

86. What does Grendel do when he first goes to Herot?

87. What is Beowulf's plan for fighting Grendel?

88. How does Beowulf die?

89. Describe the battle with Grendel's Mother?

90. What happens to Beowulf during his fight with the dragon?

Beowulf Film (2007) Questions

1. Why do you think they used an animation style in this movie? What does it add to the quality of the movie?

2. What sets Wealthow apart from the other Danish women?

3. Why did the writers have Grendel being Hrothgar’s son?

4. Was the portrayal of Grendel accurate in your opinion? Explain.

5. What is symbolic about the Dragon’s Cup and why was it added to the movie?

6. Analyze the relationship between Wealthow and Hrothgar.

7. Are the party/feast scenes as you imagined when reading the epic poem Beowulf? Explain.

8. Why is the scene where Grendel’s mother seduces Beowulf added to the movie? What does it add to the plot? Do you agree or disagree with it being added? 

9. Does Beowulf giving in to the temptation of Grendel’s mother make him more or less of a hero? Explain.

10. Why does Hrothgar commit suicide?

11. According to the text, we know Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother; we know he does not marry Wealthow and stay with the Danes; we know Beowulf returns home to the Geats to eventually become their king and fight the dragon.

12.Why do you believe the writers had the movie veer so sharply from the text?

13. Why does Beowulf say, “The time of heroes is now dead”? What does this tell us about what Beowulf thinks of himself?

14. Explain the scene with the Frisian warrior. Why does Beowulf not kill him? Why does the Frisian not try to attack Beowulf? Why does Beowulf feel invincible?

15. The character Ursula is added to the movie. Why? What is her role?

16. Explain the dragon’s message: “The sins of the fathers.”

17. Explain the foreshadowing with the Dragon’s Cup and the actual dragon.

18. How does the battle with the dragon mirror the battle with Grendel? Why was this done?

19. Explain the temptation at the end of the movie? Do you think Wiglaf will make the same mistake as both Hrothgar and Beowulf, since he knows the truth? Explain.

20. Based on this movie, was Beowulf a hero? What makes someone a hero? Do heroes have to be perfect? Explain.