Terms
The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
Alliteration
(Create a brand new alliteration and recite it for the class.) [50pts.]
Who was the king of the Danes?
Hrothgar
(What did he offer Beowulf in return for slaying the second creature in the poem?) [50pts]
What word(s) could describe the motif for Beowulf's ability to confront evil when no one else will?
Bravery/Courage
(Why is this a big deal for Hrothgar and his mean? In other words, why does this set Beowulf apart?) [50pts]
True or False: Beowulf is a Dane.
False; Beowulf is a Geat.
(How do Beowulf and his men arrive to the Danes?) [50pts]
What item did the second creature in the poem take back in addition to killing a multitude of warriors as an act of revenge for slaying their kin?
Grendel's Arm
(How did Beowulf obtain this trophy and where did he place it after winning it?) [50pts]
A break between words within a metrical foot; a pause near the middle of a line.
Caesura
(True or False: A caesura is always marked by a comma or semicolon at any point in the line of a poem.) [50pts]
This creature sought revenge and usually abides in a lake that not even deer would dare drink or bathe from.
Grendel's Mother
(How does she die?) [100pts]
What does Beowulf seek most of all?
Honor and Fame
(True or False: Beowulf glorifies all his good works to God in the end.) [100pts]
How does Beowulf defeat Grendel?
Bare-handed/ Without weapons
(Why does Beowulf choose to fight unarmed?) [100pts]
What was the name of Beowulf's sword?
Hrunting
(What was the fate of this sword? Be specific) [150pts]
A figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing.
Kenning
(Craft a new kenning for this object: "a stapler.") [150pts]
This creature is responsible for the death of the king of the Geats.
The Dragon
(What incites/spurs this creature to attack the Geats/Beowulf's people?) [150pts]
What two elements are constantly at odds with each other throughout the poem?
(Hint: This theme has to do with the author intentionally writing to their audience in a particular way.)
The tension between Christian and Pagan ideas/elements.
(Describe a scene where Christian elements were present, and then describe a scene where Pagan elements were present.) [150pts]
Where does Beowulf's fight with the second creature in the poem lead him (i.e., where does the battle end?)
A subterranean battle-hall
(Which character do we see slowly dying in the corner of this hall after the battle with the second creature and what happens as a result?) [150pts]
The king of the Danes' Mead-Hall
Herot
(What did this location represent for the Danes/Anglo-Saxon culture?) [150pts]
A way of passing down knowledge, history, and culture through spoken word and song from one generation to the next.
The Oral Tradition
(What other cultures/types of literature exhibit this tradition as a way of keeping stories alive?) [200pts]
!*!*!...DAILY DOUBLE...!*!*! [800pts]
Hrothgar's right-hand man and closest companion. He was taken by Grendel towards the start of the poem.
What motif is demonstrated by Beowulf's right-hand man and closest companion staying behind him in his last battle?
Loyalty
(Why does this companion choose to stay and fight with/for Beowulf?) [200pts]
What is the cause of Beowulf's death? (i.e., where on his body?)
A mortal wound to the neck
(How does Beowulf end up fighting the last creature?) [200pts]
What did Grendel not dare touch in Hrothgar's hall?
(Why did he not want to touch the crown?) [200pts]
A Germanic/Anglo-Saxon legal concept that refers to the monetary compensation paid to the victim or their family for injury or death
Wergild
(Where do we see a Wergild demonstrated in Beowulf?) [250pts]
Beowulf's fighting companion that ends up being the only remaining warrior to help his king.
Wiglaf
(What are his final remarks at the end of the poem? {to the other warriors}) [250pts]
Which theme best describes who and how the poem was passed down from age to age?
The importance of Poets.
(Who do the poets attribute all the glory to once Grendel is defeated?) [250pts]
Who is Grendel's Ancestor?
Cain (the biblical figure)
(Why does this matter? think themes) [250pts]
How does Beowulf request to be buried/memorialized after his death?
After burning on a funeral pyre, to have his ashes placed in (and partially used for building) a tower/memorial tomb.
[Why did Beowulf request this specifically? What would a tower in his name signify for people after him?) [250pts]