Beowulf Study Guide

​Beowulf

by anonymous​

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​The oldest surviving epic poem in the English language.

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Epic Poem: a long narrative poem that traces the adventure of a great hero. ​

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-'Beowulf'

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"They sang of his valor, and his deeds of great strength, With all their power praising the hero—as it is fitting For a man with his words to praise his friendly lord."

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Open Ended

Where do monsters lurk? Unlike the monsters in Beowulf, those in our world are not always easy to identify. Evil can hide in the most unexpected places: behind a smiling face, between the lines of a law, in other-wise noble sounding words. Even when evil is clearly exposed, people may disagree on how to confront it.

What does evil mean to you?

​Beowulf

​"The hero of all heroes," Beowulf, strong and courageous, is the prince of Geats.

Once he makes a vow, he stands by his word, no matter what the cost, even if it takes his life.

He is reluctant to back down from battle, just so he can be there for the people who are in great need to be saved from evil.

​Grendel,

Descended from the biblical Cain

Grendel is an outcast, doomed to wander the face of the earth. He revenges himself upon humans by terrorizing and occasionally devouring the warriors of the Danish king Hrothgar.

Beowulf, a warrior and headman of the Geats (a Swedish tribe), engages him in combat and mortally wounds him.

Grendel’s horrible mother avenges her son’s death but is also defeated and killed by Beowulf.

Many critics have seen Grendel as the embodiment of the physical and moral evil of heathenism.

Beowulf’s struggles to overcome the monster are thought to symbolize Anglo-Saxon England’s emerging Christianity.

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Grendel

​Grendel’s mother, like her son, is a mysterious humanoid creature.

She enters the poem as an “avenger” (l.1258), seeking redress for the death of her son at Beowulf’s hands. For this reason, some readers have seen Grendel’s mother as an embodiment of ancient Northern European society’s tendency toward unending blood-feuds. Other readers have suggested that she represents the suffering of women under the bloodfeud system. Before Grendel’s mother attacks, we hear the story of Hildeburh, a princess who loses all her male relatives because her brother’s family is feuding with her husband’s. However, Grendel’s mother is by no means only an embodiment of blood-feuding and its failures. She lives in a “mere” (l.1362) whose bottom “has never been sounded by the sons of men” (l.1367). Many readers have seen the mere as powerfully symbolic of the human subconscious, or of the mysteries that lie beyond human knowledge. To these readers, Grendel’s mother represents the dangers that await anyone who seeks to confront the unknown, either in the world or in themselves.

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​Grendel's

Mother ​

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Match

Match the character or setting pieces

• Hrothgar

• Herot

• Higlac

• Aeschere

• Wiglaf

King of Danes

mead hall that the king built

Beowulf's King; king of the Geats

Hrothgar's second in command, "right hand man"

Kinsman of Beowulf who stays and fights the dragon with Beowulf when his other men leave.

• King of Danes

• mead hall that the king built

• Beowulf's King; king of the Geats

• Hrothgar's second in command, "right hand man"

• Kinsman of Beowulf who stays and fights the dragon with Beowulf when his other men leave.

Match

Match the following

• Hrunting

• Danes

• Geats

• Lof

• Comitatus

Beowulf's sword

People from Denmark

People from Sweden

Fame

kinsmanship

• Beowulf's sword

• People from Denmark

• People from Sweden

• Fame

• kinsmanship

Multiple Choice

Alliteration is...

• the repetitions of any consonant sounds at the beginning of words, which helps to unify the lines.

• a pause dividing line, with each part having two accented syllables to help maintain the rhythm of the line.

• a metaphorical compoud word or phrase substituted for a noun or name, which enhances meaning

Multiple Choice

Caesura is ...

• the repetitions of any consonant sounds at the beginning of words, which helps to unify the lines.

• a pause dividing line, with each part having two accented syllables to help maintain the rhythm of the line.

• a metaphorical compoud word or phrase substituted for a noun or name, which enhances meaning

Multiple Choice

Kenning is...

• the repetitions of any consonant sounds at the beginning of words, which helps to unify the lines.

• a pause dividing line, with each part having two accented syllables to help maintain the rhythm of the line.

• a metaphorical compoud word or phrase substituted for a noun or name, which enhances meaning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"A powerful monster, living down

in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient

As day after day the music rang

Loud in that hall, the harp's rejoicing..."

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"...Hills and bogs, bearing God's hatred,

Grendel came, hoping to kill..."

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"...Home before, knew the way--

But never, before nor after that night..."

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"The aisle the battle swept angry

And wild. Herot trembled wonderfully

Built to withstand the blows the struggling

Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls;"

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"In new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible

Screams of the Almighty's enemy sang..."

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Multiple Choice

The following quote is an example of which type of poetic device...

"And the Geats' ring-giver did not boast of glorious

victories in other wars....

Edgetho's Famous son stared at death..."

• Caesura

• Alliteration

• Kenning

Audio Response

How does the story open?

Open Audio Recorder

​Read the first section of Beowulf again (lines 1-29).

Multiple Choice

What is the author trying to emphasize by starting the story with Grendel's anger about the men singing?

• what the men sing about happy and good times and why Grendel hates it because he came from a place of darkness.

• how important a warrior's courage is during the time of Beowulf

• what the people think during this time of the king and his power.

• how music is important in heaven and where Grendel is going to end up because he hates it.

Multiple Choice

What does Grendel do when Beowulf grabs him after pretending to be asleep?

• Grendel grabs Beowulf's best friend and kills him.

• Grendel tries to run and get away

• Grendel reacts and fights back.

• Grendel screams and cowers in the corner.

​Be sure to know:

​Beowulf's Epic Hero Traits

​Superhuman strength and skill

Success and bravery in battle

Values honor and glory

Fights evil

Vengeful

Generosity

Risk-Taker ​

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​Be familiar with examples from the story for each ​​

​Descent into the underworld

Boasts

Loyalty

Hubris

Foster Parents

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​Reread this section pg 55-56

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​The Battle with Grendel's Mother

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Open Ended

How does the setting and the description of the setting affect the mood of this section ("The Battle with Grendel's Mother")?

Audio Response

What does the way that Grendel's mother avenge her son say about her?

Lines 400-415

Open Audio Recorder

Multiple Choice

How does Grendel's mother get revenge for her son's death?

• She kills one of Hrothgar's friends
• She attacks Beowulf and injures him
• She destroys Heorot so there will never be parties there
• She kills Beowulf

Multiple Choice

What is Hrunting?

• Grendel's sword
• Beowulf's sword
• Hrothgar's mead hall
• A dagger

Multiple Choice

What saves Beowulf from the claws and dagger of Grendel's mother?

• his chain mail shirt

• his battle helmet

• his sword, Hrunting

• his swift swimming

Multiple Choice

When the she-wolf dies, a brilliant light shines "as bright as Heaven's own candle." The poet uses this imagery to show:

• that daylight has come after an all-night battle.

• that good has triumphed over evil.

• that Beowulf's body is glowing like gold.

• all of these choices are correct.

Multiple Choice

What does Beowulf find when he returns to shore from the battle in the mere?

• Hrothgar and his men had given up and left, but his own men had waited for him.
• His men had returned to Daneland thinking that he had perished in the cave.
• Hrothgar had built a shrine to Beowulf's greatness on the shore of the mere.
• The Danes and the Geats were at war because the Geats blamed the Danes for Beowulf's demise.

Multiple Choice

Beowulf returns victorious to Herot Hall with these two items:

• Grendel's arm and the famous sword, "Hrunting"

• Grendel's head and the hilt of a giant's sword

• the head of Grendel's mother and a giant's sword

• the head of Grendel's mother and a golden drinking horn

Multiple Choice

How does the setting of the battle with Grendel's Mother add to its epic significance? 

• The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, which provides a clear contrast between good and evil.
• It is a dangerous, mythical, and fantastic setting.
• Beowulf shouldn't be able to survive down there, which only adds to his qualifications as an epic hero.
• All of these

​Reread this section

Pages 62-65​

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​Beowulf's Last Battle ​

Open Ended

Find an example of alliteration from this section and type it below.

Then explain what tone the alliteration helps to convey in this section.

Audio Response

Explain how FATE (WYRD) plays an important role in Beowulf's Last Battle. Does Beowulf accept his fate or no? Give an example.

Open Audio Recorder

Multiple Choice

Who is Wiglaf?

• A wicked queen of legend who punishes anyone who looks at her the wrong way.

• Beowulf’s childhood friend, whom he defeated in a swimming match. Unferth alludes to the story of their contest, and Beowulf then relates it in detail.

• A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away. Wiglaf adheres to the heroic code better than Beowulf’s other retainers, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to Beowulf.

• The king of the Danes.

Multiple Choice

Wiglaf and his comrades promised in the past to

• find treasures for their king

• pay for their armors and swords

• repay their King Beowulf's generosity with loyalty

• remember Beowulf's deeds

Multiple Choice

Wiglaf decides by the end of this section of the poem to

• stay and fight the dragon alongside Beowulf

• go back and find more warriors to defeat the dragon

• stay as the sole witness of Beowulf's fight

• run for his life when Beowulf was attacked

Open Ended

What does Wiglaf's speech at the end of The Death of Beowulf section tell you about the importance of honor and the consequences of dishonorable behavior in Beowulf's time?

Draw

Draw a picture of the monument that the Geats built for Beowulf after his death. Include important details from this section. (Page 70)

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