Beowulf Quiz

Among the following choices, which typical literary device from Old English poetry helps establish a particular mood?

• Descriptive language such as flushed up and inflamed creates an anxious mood.

• Imagery such as gorged on him in lumps creates a satisfied mood.

• Alliteration such as blundering back with the butchered corpses creates a barbaric mood.

• Words with negative connotations such as greedy and brute create an energetic mood.

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Which line from the epic poem best explains why Beowulf undertook his quest?

• If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day.

• The hero arose, surrounded closely by his powerful thanes.

• In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth.

• Nobody tried to keep him from going, no elder denied him.

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The events in epic poems reflect the culture and time in which they are written. Beowulf does this by —

• making use of long speeches to show the speaking style and diction of the time

• employing formal syntax to create a sense of how serious people were at the time

• telling a story celebrating a noble and courageous hero who is a product of his time

• using details that reflect historical events from a time preceding the action

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Reread lines 35–38 from Beowulf for a specific feature of Old English poetry. The author substitutes the name Grendel with the kenning God-cursed brute in order to —

and human sorrow. Suddenly then

the God-cursed brute was creating havoc:

greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men

from their resting places and rushed to his lair,

• emphasize the depth of Grendel’s evil

• describe the havoc Grendel creates in detail for the reader

• show the reader that Grendel presents no real challenge

• stress the excess of Grendel’s greed

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The poem says that to rid themselves of Grendel, the people sometimes went to pagan shrines and made offerings to idols. What does this most reveal about the people there?

• They are so weak that they decide to join the evil force that they could not beat.

• They are angry at Grendel, so they plot against him with idols.

• They are disgusted with the state of Heorot, so they need a quick fix.

• They are so desperate for relief that they are willing to try whatever might help.

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Read lines 114–116, which describe what Beowulf did when he first heard about Grendel. What do the lines say about Beowulf as a character?

that would ply the waves. He announced his plan:

to sail the swan’s road and search out that king,

the famous prince who needed defenders.

• He tends to act recklessly.

• He is forgiving of evil and sins.

• He is generous and brave.

• He seeks to help all who ask him.

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What typical element of epic poetry does the battle between Beowulf and Grendel best reflect?

• The journey taken to get to the battle describes the culture at the time.

• The battle portrays the universal theme of good versus evil.

• The style of the fighting shows that the enemies fought with weapons of their era.

• The conversational diction during the battle heightens a sense of immediacy.

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 Analyze, identify and explain a universal theme conveyed by the description of the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. Support your response with evidence from the text. Be sure to explain your evidence.

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Analyze and identify two kennings associated with Grendel. How do these phrases support the universal theme of the story? Support your response with evidence from the text. Be sure to explain your evidence.

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In the story, the author chooses to begin with Grendel and his destruction of Herot. Why would the author choose to start the story here? What Impact does this choice have on the story?

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