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Worksheets

Beowulf

Total questions: 45

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
Whom does Beowulf ask permission to fight Grendel?
a)
George VI
b)
Hrothgar
c)
Unferth
2.

Where does Grendel live?

a)

deep in the swamp/marsh

b)

the jungle

c)

the ocean

d)

the city

3.

How many winters did Grendel terrorize Herot?

a)

150 years

b)

6 years

c)

30 years

d)

12 winters/years

4.

What is the name of the place Beowulf came from?

a)

The promise land

b)

Land of the Geats

c)

Land of the monarchs

d)

The Herotland

5.

Who was the King of the Danes?

a)

Grendel

b)

Beowulf

c)

Wiglaf

d)

Hrothgar

6.

What was the name of the Mead Hall?

a)

Herot

b)

Bungalow

c)

Mead Hall

d)

House of the Danes

7.

Beowulf was known to have the strength of how many men?

a)

200

b)

10

c)

30

d)

50

8.

Who stayed loyal to Beowulf after he was defeated and killed the dragon?

a)

Wiglaf

b)

Hrothgar

c)

Grendel

d)

Alex

9.

What does Beowulf give Wiglaf after he is victorious?

a)

A heart worming speech

b)

Helmet and Necklace to deem him the new Beowulf of the Danes

c)

All of the Dragons treasure

d)

A high five

10.

What does Beowulf take when he defeats Grendel?

a)

His head

b)

His arm

c)

His foot

d)

His sinews

11.

What are sinews?

a)

The tendons in the shoulder of Grendel

b)

Muscles

c)

Bones

d)

Skin cells of Grendel

12.

Where does Grendel's mother live?

a)

Lake Erie

b)

A swamp

c)

The red sea

d)

The moors

13.

Why couldn't the men use their weapons against Grendel?

a)

They think they were tough

b)

The mother weakened their swords with a spell

c)

They were dull

d)

They didn't have any

14.
Which is not a kenning?
a)
ring giver
b)
insurmountable feats
c)
cave guard
15.
In what country did Hrothgar rule?
a)
Norway
b)
Denmark
c)
Sweden
d)
England
16.
What are the reactions of all but one of Beowulf's men in the battle with the dragon?
a)
They form a protective circle around Beowulf.
b)
They run away.
c)
They attack and kill the dragon.
17.
Why does Beowulf not use weapons against Grendel?
a)
Grendel doesn't use weapons.
b)
Beowulf wants to prove his strength.
c)
Hrothgar asked him not to use any weapons.
18.
Who is Beowulf's father?
a)
Edgethow
b)
Aelfhane
c)
Alf
19.
Beowulf was written in . . .?
a)
middle English
b)
Elizabethan
c)
Danish
d)
old English
20.
Which is not a trait of an epic hero?
a)
great feats
b)
saves his people from harm
c)
doesn't want glory
d)
embodies Ango-Saxon ideals
21.

The people who traveled around to tell the ancient stories were called

a)

scops or bards

b)

poets

c)

a DJ

22.

The King of the Danes is named _________

a)

Herot

b)

Hrothgar

c)

Arthur

23.

Beowulf kills Grendel by _________

a)

Stabbing him in the heart

b)

Pulling off his arm

c)

Cutting off his head

24.

Beowulf returned to Geatland and became king. He ruled for ______________ years in peace.

a)

10

b)

25

c)

50

25.

After Beowulf died, he asked that his men _______________

a)

build a tower to honor him

b)

spit the dragon's treasure among themselves

c)

make Grendel the king

26.

The story of Beowulf was told over and over again for hundreds of years before it was finally written down on paper. This is called _____________________.

a)

boring stories

b)

the oral tradition

c)

short stories

27.

Beowulf is a(n)_____________________

a)

short story

b)

play

c)

novel

d)

epic poem

28.

After Beowulf defeats Grendel, he ______________

a)

hangs Grendel's arm from the rafters

b)

calls the scops to tell them to add to the story

c)

tells his men to get ready to go home

29.

What is a "kenning"?

a)

A group of words used in place of a character's name

b)

Adjectives used before a character's name to highlight something about him/her

30.
Beowulf is the oldest European text written in ...
a)
Old English
b)
Middle English
c)
Latin
31.
Beowulf dates from the...
a)
10th century
b)
9th century
c)
6th century
32.

Beowulf is the first story written in the English Language

a)

True

b)

False

33.

What is Herot?

a)

A giant mead-hall

b)

A castle

c)

Beowulf's home country

d)

Grendel's lair

34.

Which is an example of alliteration?

a)

"whale road,"

b)

"fastened those claws in his fists till they cracked, clutched Grendel closer" (284)

c)

"A noble life short. No Geat could have stopped her;" (line 417)

d)

"It's hot and it's monotonous."

35.

What is an epic?

a)

an adjective or phrase applied to a noun to accentuate a certain characteristic

b)

a type of metaphor usually combining words

c)

a poem that records and celebrates the heroic achievements of an individual

d)

a pause in the middle of a line of poetry

36.

What does caesura mean?

a)

a type of metaphor usually combining words

b)

an epic poem that comes from oral tradition

c)

a pause in the middle of a line of poetry

d)

a figure of speech in which part of something is used to designate a whole

37.

What is a kenning?

a)

a pause dividing each line, with each part having two accented syllables

b)

a type of metaphor usually combining words

c)

word choice and sentence structure

d)

a long narrative poem

38.

What is the meaning of lair?

a)

a claw on a falcon or eagle

b)

a metaphorical phrase that takes the place of a noun

c)

having a bad reputation

d)

the den or resting place of a wild animal

39.

What does the word talon mean?

a)

having a very bad reputation

b)

a claw like on a falcon or an eagle

c)

a den or resting place of a wild animal

d)

a force that oppresses or causes suffering

40.

an old English bard or poet

a)

scop

b)

wyrd

c)

wergild

d)

poppit

41.

alcoholic beverage, similar to wine but made from honey

a)

bora bora

b)

fuzzy navel

c)

mead

d)

crazy cow

42.

two hyphenated words that take the place of a noun

a)

epithet

b)

kenning

c)

epic

d)

Code of Honor

43.

long story or poem, usually performed in the Oral Tradition

a)

epithet

b)

kenning

c)

epic

d)

Code of Honor

44.

community tradition/historical information passed down by word of mouth

a)

Oral Tradition

b)

hoard

c)

boast

d)

transience

45.

community tradition/historical information passed down by word of mouth

a)

Oral Tradition

b)

hoard

c)

boast

d)

transience