Satire
This rhetorical device intentionally presents something as smaller or less important than it really is — like calling a hurricane “a little rain.”
understatement
Although he’s sworn to a life of study and prayer, this member of the clergy prefers hunting, fine horses, and rich clothing instead.
Monk
This Geatish warrior crosses the sea to help the Danes, defeats monsters with superhuman strength, and ultimately becomes king of his people
Beowulf
Before the deportations, this poor foreign Jew returns to Sighet with horrific warnings about mass killings—warnings no one believes.
Moishe the Beadle
Someone who imagines bold possibilities for the future—like an inventor dreaming beyond current limits—can be described with this term.
visionary
When an author places two contrasting images or ideas side by side — say, a palace next to a slum — they’re using this technique to highlight the difference.
juxtaposition
This smooth-talking limiter knows every tavern girl in town, hands out easy penances for a price, and believes “greed is good” — at least for him.
Friar
The aged king of the Danes, he builds the great hall Heorot—but cannot protect it from the terror that stalks it at night.
Hrothgar
Packed into stifling cattle cars with almost no food or water, Elie and his family are transported from Sighet to this first concentration camp.
Auschwitz-Birkenau
Meaning “an excessive amount,” this noun might describe having far more options than you can possibly choose from.
plethora
Mrs. Malaprop from Sheridan’s The Rivals gave her name to this humorous error where a character uses a similar-sounding but incorrect word, such as “obliterate” for “illiterate.”
malapropism
Slender, choleric, and feared by those beneath him, this estate steward keeps meticulous accounts — and secretly steals from his master while still making a profit for him.
Reeve
This descendant of Cain terrorizes Heorot for years until Beowulf tears off his arm in their legendary battle.
Grendel
Upon arrival at Birkenau, Elie experiences a defining moment of loss when this family unit is torn apart at the selection line.
separation from his mother and sister
Knighthoods, medals, and glowing reviews all fall under this noun for a special acknowledgment of merit.
accolade
This device occurs when a lofty or serious passage suddenly collapses into the trivial or ridiculous, producing an anticlimax — often unintentionally funny.
bathos
Huge, brawny, and fond of wrestling and tavern boasts, this red-bearded grain-worker plays the bagpipes and “breaks doors with his head.”
Miller
Seeking retribution for her son, this underwater monster challenges Beowulf in her dark mere, proving even fiercer than Grendel.
Grendel's mother
During this scene, a prisoner asks, “Where is God?” as this emotionally devastating scene becomes a turning point in Elie’s struggle with faith.
hanging of the pipèl
Deep, long-lasting bitterness or resentful anger—often the result of a past wrong—is captured by this term.
rancor
In literature or film, this term refers to something placed outside its historical period — like giving Julius Caesar a wristwatch.
anachronism
Clad in a green hood and carrying carefully maintained weapons, this servant to the Knight is an expert woodsman and has a medal of St. Christopher on his breast.
Yeoman
The only warrior who remains with Beowulf during his fatal fight with the dragon, this young thane becomes the hero’s successor.
Wiglaf
After a brutal winter march, Elie's father eventually passes away due to what illness.
Dysentery
From the Latin for “burden,” this adjective describes tasks that are especially difficult, demanding, or troublesome.
onerous