WorksheetsCollection 5: Beowulf
Total questions: 64
Worksheet time: 28mins
Beowulf is thought to be created by
Geoffrey Chaucer
William Shakespeare
Homer
An unknown, traveling Anglo-Saxon poet
In 1066, Britain was invaded and conquered by Norman-French Forces under the leadership of...
The duke of Normandy
The Christian monks
The dragon
The king of Geatland
When was the Anglo-Saxon Period
200-500 AD
449-1066 AD
780-1080 AD
1066-1600 AD
What is an epic poem about?
A hero who cannot be defeated.
A hero who also serves as a representation of a culture.
An adventure involving magic and monsters.
A song based on a famous hero revered by a country.
Which one is NOT an Anglo-Saxon Value
Courage
Honor
Loyalty
Wealth
The Norman Conquest marked the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
True
False
Beowulf is an example of this common character type.
Mad King
Villain
Epic Hero
King Slayer
The universal theme in Beowulf is...
Good vs. evil
Love vs hate
Greed vs generosity
Lies vs truth
What language was Beowulf originally written in?
Old English
Middle English
Victorian English
Spanglish
During the Anglo Saxon period, bragging was considered
Overly prideful and rude
Unacceptable in society
Acceptable and even encouraged( as long as you could back it up)
Poetic and beautiful
Which biblical figure is Grendel connected to?
King David
Hrothgar
Cain
A servant of Hrothgar
Who was responsible for recording literature at the time?
The duke of Normandy
The Christian monks
The dragon
The king of Geatland
What two tribes are represented in Beowulf?
Danes and Geats
Celtics and Saxons
Vikings and Scots
Titans and Olympians
The story was composed (created) in _________ but not written out by monks until ________ .
The 900's AD / the late 1300’s AD
The mid 700's / around 700 AD
Unknown
44 B.C. / 750 AD
Which list of character traits best describe Beowulf?
Cheat, Liar, Coward
Honor, Quiet, Submissive
Bravery, Honor, Strength
Strength, Bravery, Arrogance
Why does Beowulf decide to visit Hrothgar?
To create an alliance.
To start war.
To defeat a monster.
To ask for protection.
"...Up from his swampland, sliding silently" is an example of which poetic device?
allusion
metaphor
alliteration
simile
Where does Grendel live?
deep in the swamp/marsh
the jungle
the ocean
the city
The ____ are under attack from Grendel.
Danes
Geats
Sweden
Germany
Who is the Danish King?
Hrothgar
Higlac
Healfdane
Beowulf
What one request does Beowulf ask of Hrothgar?
Let Beowulf and his men fight alone
To borrow a weapon
To lend the help of his men
To get as many men as possible to fight Grendel
The people who traveled around to tell the ancient stories were called
scops or bards
poets
a DJ
What did King Hrothgar build in his land to celebrate with his people?
A new field for crops
A mead hall called Herot
A church dedicated to the sun gods
A dance floor in the center of the village
What was the name of the monster who was terrorizing Hrothgar's mead hall?
the Cyclops
the Dragon
Grendel
Grendel's enemy
Grendel is a demon descended from ____________.
Cain
Abel
Adam
Beowulf fights Grendel with ______________
His sword Hrunting
His bare hands
A dagger
The swords of the men do not harm Grendel because _______________
his skin is so scaly
he has put a spell on all weapons so that that no weapons can harm him
The men are too weak to fight Grendel
Grendel’s ________ comes and kills Hrothgar’s best friend and takes Grendel’s arm
Mother
Father
Sister
Friend
Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother with ______________
His bare hands
His sword Hrunting
Excalibur
A magical sword made by giants
Beowulf returned to Geatland and became king. He ruled for ______________ years in peace.
10
25
50
A dragon becomes angry because ___________ and he starts attacking people.
someone woke him up
a thief stole a cup
someone insulted his family
Beowulf is deserted by all of his men except _____________
Wiglaf
Hrothgar
Grendel
After Beowulf died, he asked that his men _______________
build a tower to honor him
spit the dragon's treasure among themselves
make Grendel the king
Before he dies, Beowulf asks to see ___________.
the dragon's treasure
his mother
his children
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 _____________________.
the written tradition
the oral tradition
the dramatic tradition
Beowulf is a(n)_____________________
short story
play
novel
epic poem
What is a "kenning"?
two-word phrase for a common word
Adjectives used before a character's name to highlight something about him/her
a verb phrase that describes an emotion
a single noun that represents an idea
Wiglaf is ...
the one who betrays Beowulf
a loyal follower of Beowulf
died defending Beowulf against the dragon.
a frequent visitor to Herot Hall
What does Beowulf think will decide the result of his fight with Grendel?
His sword
Fate
His intelligence
The men he brought with him
Who sought revenge for the monster?
Hrothgar
Its brother
Its mother
Wiglaf
How does Beowulf manage to kill Grendel’s mother?
He cuts her head off
He rips her arm off
He stabs her
With the Christian monks
What is so fantastical about Beowulf’s journey to her lair?
Beowulf is able to stay alive under water for what seems like hours.
Other sea monsters join them, attacking Beowulf.
Beowulf is able to find and use a giant’s sword against the monster.
Both A and B.
All of the above.
Why does the dragon attack the Geats?
He needs food and desires human blood.
He is not being worshiped anymore.
A thief had stolen a cup from out of his treasure.
He is lonesome like Grendel.
What type of monster killed Beowulf?
A witch
A man-eating beast
A dragon
A werewolf
In what way does Beowulf’s sword fail him during the fight?
It has a spell on it so that it can’t hurt the dragon.
It breaks apart when he strikes the dragon's scales.
The dragon is able to melt the sword with its fiery breath.
Beowulf drops the sword and it stays out of his reach during the fight.
Why does Wiglaf fight the dragon along with Beowulf?
He didn’t want Beowulf to get all of the glory.
He lost a bet with the other men.
He respected Beowulf and knew his king needed help.
He had a magical sword that could pierce dragon scales.
Why did Wiglaf berate (criticize) the other warriors saying they were “branded with disgrace”?
They were trying to strike at the Dragon when Beowulf said not to.
He was proud of their actions because they waited in the woods as they were told.
Beowulf’s comrades ran away, scared, when Beowulf was in need.
He will most likely be their king so he needed to begin his reign with a lecture.
What causes Beowulf’s death?
Grendel’s mother stabs him in the heart.
He is betrayed by King Hrothgar.
He doesn’t die; he is taken up to the heavens to live forever.
Beowulf is mortally wounded when he and Wiglaf are fighting the dragon.
Modern English is harsher in sound than Old English.
True
False
Old English was grammatically more complex than Modern English is.
True
False
Beowulf is the oldest surviving piece of British literature.
True
False
Anglo-Saxons often gathered in mead halls where they listen to stories of heroic deeds.
True
False
The name England is derived from the the name the Angles.
True
False
