Name:

Beowulf

Beowulf Introduction Pages 12-13

1. Why is Beowulf so significant to the history of England?

Clue: It was the first of a …

2. The timing of Beowulf:

A. What century does the story (setting) take place?

B. When was the story composed?

C. When was the manuscript created?

D. Who wrote the manuscript?

3. Why do we have so few early manuscripts? What happened to them?

A List of Characters and Place (Page 13)

Character Name / Description
a Geat, son of Edgetho and nephew of Higlac, king of the Geats. Higlac is both Beowulf’s feudal lord and his uncle.
chief of the Brondings, a tribe, and Beowulf’s friend.
man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake. His name might be related to the Old Norse grindill, meaning “storm,” or grenja, “to bellow.”
golden guest-hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler. It was decorated with the antlers of stags; the name means “hart [stag] hall.” Scholars think Herot might have been built near Lejre on the coast of Zealand, in Denmark.
king of the Danes, builder of Herot. He had once befriended Beowulf’s father. His father was called Healfdane (which probably means “half Dane”). Hrothgar’s name might mean “glory spear” or “spear of triumph.”
one of Hrothgar’s courtiers, reputed to be a skilled warrior. His sword, called Hrunting, is used by Beowulf in a later battle.
Hrothgar’s wife, queen of the Danes.
a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band, and the only one to help him in his final fight with the dragon. Wiglaf might be related to Beowulf.

Introductory Paragraphs of Beowulf Page 14 & The Mark of Cain Page 30

4. What curse was placed on Cain’s descendants?

Beowulf, Parts 1-2: The Monster Pages 14-17

Part 1

5. What is the poem alluding to in lines 5-13?

6. Where does Grendel live? Where did he come from?

7. Who is Hrothgar? Where does he live?

Part 2

8. When does Grendel attack Herot (“hart” or “stag”, a symbol of kingship)?

9. For how many years is the hall attacked?

10. What is protected by God?

11. In desperation, how and why do the people turn against God in lines 90-104? Hint: Days of the week.

Beowulf, Parts 3-5 Pages 17-20

Part 3

12. Who (explain number of men and nationality) comes to aid Hrothgar?

Part 4: The Arrival of the Hero Page 19

13. What does Wulfgar make the Geats do before seeing the king?

14. How does Beowulf introduce himself in lines 142-143?

15. Why has Beowulf traveled so far to fight Grendel, another man’s enemy (lines 144-160)? Who has suggested this is his fate?

16. What requests (2) does Beowulf make of Hrothgar in lines 160-189? One is before the battle; one is after the battle.

Part 5

17. What is another reason Beowulf has traveled to fight Grendel according to Hrothgar (lines 191-192)?

Beowulf, Parts 6-7: Unferth’s Challenge Pages 20-25

18. Why does Unferth dislike Beowulf (lines 235-240)?

19. What story does Unferth tell to embarrass Beowulf? What does Unferth believe will happen between Beowulf and Grendel (lines 258-261)?

20. What happened to prove Beowulf the victor in this challenge even though he technically lost?

21. Ultimately, who wins the verbal sparring?

22. What heinous crime did Unferth commit? What does this allude to?

23. How does the Queen show her support of Beowulf in Lines 345-365?

24. What does Beowulf ask of Hrothgar in Lines 386-391? Relates to #16

25. How does Beowulf plan to spend the night (Italicized text)?

Beowulf, Parts 8-9 Pages 25-28

Part 8

26. How does Grendel approach Herot (lines 395-398)?

27. What role does fate play in this battle (line 416-418)?

28. How did Grendel fall into Beowulf’s grip?

Part 9

29. How do Beowulf’s men discover they cannot help their prince? Explain.

30. How does Beowulf “defeat” Grendel?

Beowulf, Parts 10-11 Page 28-29

Part 10

31. What do the people of Herot do the morning after the battle?

32. How does King Hrothgar describe the place where Grendel and his mother live?

Beowulf, The Monster’s Mother & The Final Battle, Parts 12-17 Pages 31-38

Part 12

33. Why does Beowulf seek Grendel’s Mother and her lair?

34. What protects Beowulf as he descends into the water and confronts the mother (lines 580-590)?

35. Where does Grendel’s Mother take Beowulf?

36. Why cannot Beowulf injure the mother (lines 599-601)?

37. Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother with what and for what (lines 609-612)

Part 13

38. What, made by Giants, does Beowulf find? Reread 150-155: Why is this significant?

39. How does Beowulf kill Grendel’s mother?

40. What final act of revenge does Beowulf perform?

41. What previous story alluded to Beowulf’s great ability to fight sea creatures underwater? (Lines 311-313).

Page 33

42. Why must Beowulf, now King of the Geats, fight a dragon?

Part 14: The Final Battle

43. Why cannot Beowulf defeat the dragon with his bare hands (lines 666-687)?

44. If he wins, what does Beowulf want? What does this reveal about his character?

45. What happens to the weapons Beowulf brought to fight the dragon?

46. As he falls, what do Beowulf’s men do? Contrast to the battle with Grendel.

Part 15

47. Who is Wiglaf? What does he do?

48. Why does Wiglaf defend his king (lines 762-790)?

49. Ultimately, what happens to the dragon? To Beowulf?

Part 16

50. What does Wiglaf present to Beowulf?

51. What are Beowulf’s final wishes?

52. How does Beowulf honor Wiglaf? What relationship is unveiled here in lines 820-824?

Part 17

53. How do Beowulf’s men honor his body? Where is his final resting place?

54. According to the lamentations of the Geats, what kind of king was Beowulf?

55. What do Beowulf’s final words and death foreshadow about the fate of the Geats?

Beowulf Discussion Questions

Directions: Find two specific examples in the poem that support your answer to each question. Record the line number, a quote, and explain the example or context.

1.  Within Beowulf, there are many religious allusions. How does this influence the central theme of good vs. evil?

Line Number & Quote / Example
Line 7, the almighty making the earth / Danes are Christian; Grendel is a demon (evil).

2.  In what ways does Beowulf resist wyrd? Do you believe he is changing or creating his fate?

Line Number & Quote / Example

3.  The monsters resist attacks by man-made weapons. What real life dangers could they, the monsters, represent?

Line Number & Quote / Example

4.  Using the character Beowulf as a model, what characteristics did the Anglo-Saxons idealize?

Line Number & Quote / Example

Beowulf Bingo

Directions: Populate the “Bingo” board below with characters, locations, weapons, etc. from the poem, Beowulf.

Beowulf