Beowulf (epic)

If a certain place can correctly be described as a lair, which of the following must be true?

• It serves as a living or hiding place.
• It serves as a rest stop.
• It serves as a storage area.
• It serves as a place for storing weapons.

Which of the following things would most likely be described as gruesome?

• a horrible automobile accident
• an unusual rock formation
• an oddly shaped vegetable
• a demanding physical challenge

If an animal can correctly be described as writhing, which of the following must be true?

• It is squirming.
• It is chewing
• It is enormous
• It is multicolored.

What does this statement tell you about Grendel, the first monster described in the selection from Beowulf? "The monster’s / Thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws. . . ."

• He has intelligence and cleverness.
• He is hungry
• He has sharp claws.
• He is not trustworthy

Which excerpt from Beowulf best supports the idea that the theme of Beowulf is that valor will triumph?

• . . . Then the Geats’ brave prince entered / Herot, covered with glory for the daring / Battles he had fought; he sought Hrothgar / To salute him and show Grendel’s head. (lines 613–616)
• Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword, hammered by giants, strong / And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons. . . . (lines 528–530)
• But so massive [a sword] that no ordinary man could lift [it]. . . . / He drew it / From its scabbard . . . / lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had left. (lines 531–536)
• They spoke about Beowulf, / All the graybeards, whispered together / And said that hope was gone, that the hero / Had lost fame and his life at once, and would never / Return to the living. . . . (lines 564–568)

Which choice best paraphrases the CAPITALIZED words in this excerpt from Beowulf? ". . . they could hack at Grendel / From every side, trying TO OPEN / A PATH FOR HIS EVIL SOUL, but their points / Could not hurt him."

• to kill him
• to help him escape
• to turn his soul to God
• to drive him out of the hall

Which excerpt from Beowulf best supports the idea that Beowulf triumphed over Grrendel’s mother through a combination of good fortune and his own strength and determination?

• Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy / Sword, hammered by giants, strong / And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons / But so massive that no ordinary man could lift [it]. . . . / [He] lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had left. . . . (lines 528–536)
• . . . Then [Grendel’s mother] carried [Beowulf], armor / And sword and all, to her home; he struggled / To free his weapon, and failed. (lines 477– 479)
• . . . But her guest [Beowulf] / Discovered that no sword could slice her evil / Skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her, /. . . If weapons were useless, he’d use / His hands, the strength in his fingers. (lines 493–505)
• . But [Grendel’s mother] rose / At once and repaid him with her clutching claws, / Wildly tearing at him. He was weary, that best / And strongest of soldiers; his feet stumbled / And in an instant she had him down, held helpless. (lines 511–515)

Which of the following accurately state a reason to characterize Beowulf as an epic?

• It depicts a hero battling forces that threaten the world.
• It depicts a hero who is brought down by a character flaw.
• It tells the story of the hero’s entire life.
• It uses plain, straightforward language.

Which of the following characteristics or actions most clearly shows that Beowulf fits the definition of an epic hero?

• He fights with extraordinary strength and courage.
• He is as loyal to his followers as they are to him.
• He sails a great distance to help people in need.
• He is quick to boast about his achievements.

Which of the following elements of Beowulf is most clearly an archetypal pattern?

• the struggle between an evil creature and an exemplary hero
• the sacrificial love of parents for their children
• the friendship between the Geats and the Danes
• the importance of being honored in a foreign nation after death