Grendel
Woe-walker, Mankind’s-enemy, and Shepherd of evil are all _______ to describe Grendel.
Kennings
Describe the lake where Grendel and his mother live.
Ominous and dark, fire on the water, bubbling with blood and gore, etc.
How does Beowulf wish he could fight the dragon? Why can't he?
With his bare hands as he fought Grendel. He acknowledges how powerful the dragon is; he'd be burned to death
Define Epic Poetry
Long narrative poetry
The Anglo Saxons were once _____ who believed in _____
Pagans / Many gods, lucky charms, gems, fate, etc.
In his self-introduction to Hrothgar, Beowulf reveals that he plans to use no weapons in his fight with Grendel. What is the best inferred explanation of this choice?
Beowulf wants it to be a fair, equal, and honorable fight
How does the battle in the lake contrast the battle with Grendel?
Beowulf uses weapons in the lake and the opponent doesn’t show fear
How does Beowulf's relationship to the dragon compare to Hrothgar's relationship to Grendel?
The enemy is plaguing his people; he's king
What does the acronym EPIC represent regarding an Epic Hero?
It stands for characteristics of an archetypical epic hero:
E - embodies and protects community values
P - possesses supernatural traits
I - identifies a need to go on a quest
C - carries him/herself with confidence
Once Beowulf was finally written down, it was used to _______
Entertain readers and spread Christian values
“He was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever…” What is the significance of including Grendel’s family tree?
The Anglo-Saxons valued kinship and the transcriber wanted to set up a biblical good versus evil theme
How Beowulf prepared for the battle with Grendel's mother reveals what?
Beowulf respects her as a fearful opponent
What do most of Beowulf's men do when they see he is losing the battle? Who stays to help?
Run away; Wiglaf
“In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s Follower and the strongest of the Geats…Heard how Grendel filled nights with horror And quickly commanded a boat fitted out, …Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, Now when help was needed.” This quote best illustrates which EPIC hero trait?
Identifies a need to go on a quest
Anglo Saxon scops used alliteration, kennings, and caesuras because _______
These poetic devices made their stories sound good verbally and helped with memorization
“He was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever…” The tone toward Grendel can be described as…
Negative - cautionary and disgusted
How does Beowulf finally kill Grendel's mother?
With a sword made by giants that he finds in her lair
When Wiglaf says, “By almighty God, I’d rather burn myself than see flames swirling around my lord” he is standing up for which Anglo-Saxon values?
Community and loyalty to King
“He leaped into the lake…For hours he sank through the waves; At last he saw the mud of the bottom.” This quote best illustrates which EPIC hero trait?
Possesses supernatural traits
“So his mind turned To hall-building: he handed down orders For men to work on a great mead-hall Meant to be a wonder of the world forever… And soon it stood there, Finished and ready, in full view, The hall of halls.” What does the mead hall represent? Why is it so important to the Anglo Saxon people?
The mead hall is a symbol of power and community. It's the heart of the community where all gatherings, formal and informal, were held
What does Grendel hate the sound of? The reason the detail about what Grendel hates the sound of is important is because…
Grendel hates the voices of men singing and having a good time in the mead hall. The author is trying to emphasize the importance of the topic the men sing about and why Grendel hates it (they sing about God. Grendel hates God because of his lineage).
After Beowulf defeats Grendel's mother, what does he do? What happens to the giant's sword? Why?
He takes Grendel's head as a trophy. The sword melts in Grendel's evil blood.
What does Beowulf say even kings must bow to? Why?
Fate. He wants to show that the Anglo-Saxons had to merge their pagan views of destiny/wyrd with that of Christian views of God’s will -- this is the first time the word "fate" is used instead of "wyrd"
“Hail, Hrothgar! …the days Of my youth have been filled with glory.” This quote best illustrates which EPIC hero trait?
Carries himself with confidence
This line “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth—” combined with Beowulf’s funeral ritual and belief in fate prove that the story of Beowulf is unique in that it shows…
a mixture of Christian teachings and pagan rituals