Study Questions s2

BEOWULF Study Questions: Part One – Grendel 1. What happened to the bodies of dead kings? 2. Who was Hrothgar? 3. What large building did he build and why? 4. Grendel was related to which Biblical character? 5. What happened during Grendel”s first visit to the mead hall? 6. Why did Grendel wage war against Hrothgar? 7. How long did Grendel’s haunting last? 8. What clan/heritage was Beowulf and from what country? 9. How many men sailed with Beowulf/ 10. Beowulf had conquered what two groups of monsters? 11. Instead of sword and shield, what does Beowulf propose to use against Grendel? 12. What is Unferth’s problem? 13. Who did Beowulf swim against in his youth? 14. How many of Beowulf’s men did Grendel eat? 15. What wound did Beowulf give to Grendel that made him run away? 16. What did Beowulf mount beneath the gabled roof? 17. How did Hrothgar promise to treat Beowulf after the battle? 18. What gifts were given to Beowulf? 1. Why do people love stories about monsters? (1/4 page) 2. How do these monster tales help people Part Two – Grendel’s Mother symbolically deal with the evil in the 19. What two things did Grendel’s mother take from Heorot? world around them? (1/4 page) 20. Who was Aeschere? 3. Write a creative piece in which you tell the story from the point of view of one of 21. What did Hrothgar ask of Beowulf? the monsters: Grendel, his mother, or the 22. What did the warriors find first while following the hag’s trail? dragon. (1 page) 23. What did Unferth give to Beowulf? 4. Compare Beowulf to the archetypal hero. What qualities does he have that fit? 24. What did Hrunting do to Grendel’s mother? Which ones do not? (1/2 page) 25. What did Beowulf find hanging on the wall of the cave? 5. Compare Grendel to the archetypal hero. 26. For what two deeds was the weapon used? What qualities fit Grendal? Which do 27. What happened to the blade of the giant sword? not? (1/2 page) 28. What two things did Beowulf take from the cave? 29. What did Beowulf give the ship’s guard? 30. What did Hygelac let Beowulf keep of the treasures and what else besides?

Part Three – The Dragon 31. How many winters was Beowulf king of Geatland (after Hygelac was kidded in battle)? 32. How many winters had the dragon guarded its hoard of treasure? 33. How many winters was the secret path unknown? 34. Who found the treasure and the dragon? 35. What did he take and give to his master? 36. How did the dragon avenge the theft? 37. What did the blacksmiths make for Beowulf to protect him from the fire-serpent? 38. What is Naegling and what affect did it have on the dragon? 39. Which of Beowulf’s warriors stayed and entered the fray/ 40. How did Wiglaf and Beowulf defeat the dragon? 41. Beowulf gave Wiglaf which of his possessions? 42. What were Beowulf’s last words? 43. How did Wiglaf greet the ten warriors who had fled the battle? 44. What was built for Beowulf so it could be seen by sailors? 45. What was buried with Beawulf?