STUDY GUIDE

BEOWULF MEANS

Beowulf: Section Intro (translated by Seamus Heaney)

1. Summarize the introduction in your own words:

Lines 1~3:

Lines 4~11:

Lines 12~25:

Lines 26~63:

Lines 64~85:

2. What is the IMPORTANCE of the introduction? What part does it play in telling an epic story about the hero, Beowulf? (He’s not even mentioned in the introduction!!!)

3. What is the foreshadowing we see at the end of the introduction?

Quote: (Lines ______~______)

What can it mean?

Beowulf : Section I: pages 33-44

1. According to the first 5 lines, what is Grendel doing?

2. Who is Grendel? (describe):

3. Who is Hrothgar? (describe):

4. What is Herot? (describe):

5. Who are the Danes? (describe):

6. According to lines 30-40:

- What were the warriors doing when Grendel finds them?

- How many of the warriors does Grendel kill?

- Where does Grendel take the bodies?

On lines 74 and 79 are examples of an epithet and a kenning.

Epithet: ______

Kenning: ______

7. Who is Beowulf? (describe):

8. How many men does Beowulf take with him when he goes to help Hrothgar? (ln. 121)

9. What does Beowulf say he will carry into battle against Grendel? (ln. 170-174)

10. According to line 189, the outcome of the battle will be decided by .

11. Who is Higlac? (describe):

12. Who are the Geats? (describe):

13. Why does Grendel relish the sight he sees in Herot? (ln. 250-254)

14. How does Beowulf attack Grendel? (ln 270-284)

15. How are Grendel and Beowulf described in lines 310-313?

GRENDEL:

BEOWULF:

16. What do Beowulf’s men do to try to help him? (ln 316-326)

17. What does Beowulf hang from the rafters? (ln. 355-358)

18. What does the crowd do the next day? (ln. 360-368)

19. Grendel is constantly being compared to a creature much like Satan. What Biblical allusion do we see in the description of the lake?

SECTION II: pages 45-51

1.  Who is out for revenge?

Explain the allusion: CAIN

2.  Why does Grendel’s mom take only one victim from Herot? (ln. 410)

3.  Who does she take?

4.  Along with the man, what else does she take with her? (ln. 421)

5.  Where does she live?

6.  Who goes with Beowulf into the lake?

7.  Why does Beowulf throw his sword down? (ln. 487-489)

8.  EPITHET on line 508:

9.  What does Beowulf do with the giant’s sword? (ln. 520-524)

10. What does he take from Grendel?

11. What did everyone think had happened? (ln. 550-561)

12. What does Beowulf take with him? (ln. 569-571)

13. EPITHET on line 578:

SECTION III: pages 52-60

1.  What is endangering the Geats? (notice that we are no longer dealing with the Danes)

2.  What happens to Beowulf’s sword during his battle with the dragon? (ln. 670-674)

3.  What happens to Beowulf’s shield during his fight? (ln. 665-670)

4.  What do the Geats do when Beowulf needs their help? (ln. 691-694)

5.  Who stays to help Beowulf? (ln. 695)

6.  EPITHET on line 697:

7. Where does the dragon wound Beowulf?

---it has tusks with venom on them!

8.  What does Beowulf recall about his fifty-year reign? (ln. 742-752)

9.  What does Beowulf want Wiglaf to do for him before he dies? (ln. 756-763)

10. Who most likely wrote lines 805-809? Why?

11. What does Beowulf want the Geats to do in honor of him? (ln. 813-819)

12. What do the Geats do with Beowulf’s ashes? (ln. 875)

13. What do the twelve Geats do after the tower is finished? (ln. 885-887)