Beowulf Review

Front

affliction "And sometimes they sacrificed to the old stone gods...hoping for...the Devil's guidance in driving/Their affliction off." "Bold and strong-minded, had driven affliction/Off, purged Herot clean."

Back

a problem or something that causes pain

Front

loathsome "...and running to his loathsome moor [land]/With another such sickening meal waiting/In his pouch." (lines 538-40)

Back

disgusting or repulsive

Front

In the excerpt: "...and running to his loathsome moor [land]/With another such sickening meal waiting/In his pouch." (lines 538-40), which word is a context clue for loathsome? Options: meal, running, sickening, waiting.

Back

sickening

Front

Which line does NOT demonstrate Beowulf's characteristics as an epic hero? Options: "'I've never known fear, as a youth I fought/In endless battles.'" (lines 608-9), "...the strongest of the Geats—greater/And stronger than anyone anywhere in this world—" (lines 110-11), "...he knows of your noble birth/And that having come to him from over the open/Sea you have come bravely..." (lines 128-30), "I have heard,/Too, that the monster's scorn of men/Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none." (lines 166-68)

Back

"I have heard,/Too, that the monster's scorn of men/Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none." (lines 166-68)

Front

"shepherd of evil, guardian of crime" (line 273)
"the afflictor/Of men, tormentor of their days" (lines 331-32)
The above excerpts are examples of...

Back

Kennings that describe Grendel

Front

"fire-spitting terror" and "the gray-bearded lord of the Geats" are examples of...

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Kennings that refer to the dragon and Beowulf

Front

How does the poet's word choice in the excerpts "the fire-spitting terror" and "the gray-bearded lord of the Geats" impact the mood of this scene?

Back

It creates a sad mood by emphasizing how weak and helpless Beowulf has become even though he is still willing to fight.

Front

Which of the following best demonstrates the Anglo-Saxon concept of wyrd and how it shapes the events of the poem? "And then he who'd endured dozens of desperate/Battles, who'd stood boldly while swords and shields/Clashed, the best of kings..." (lines 637-39), "Her visit ended their good fortune, reversed/The bright vane of their luck." (lines 399-400), "They wrestled, she ripped/And tore and clawed at him, bit holes in his helmet,/And that too failed him..." (lines 481-83), "But fate, that night, intended/Grendel to gnaw the broken bones/Of his last human supper." (lines 258-59)

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"But fate, that night, intended/Grendel to gnaw the broken bones/Of his last human supper." (lines 258-59)

Front

Tone of the poet when describing Beowulf in battles: "That mighty protector of men/Meant to hold the monster till its life/Leaped out..."

Back

admiring; praising

Front

Grendel's lair is described as _____; in _____, Herot is described as _____ (Options: solid; contrast; impermanent, heavenly; comparison; hellish, peaceful; comparison; chaotic, hellish; contrast; bright)

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hellish; contrast; bright