WorksheetsBeowulf
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 6mins
Which line from Beowulf makes the most use of alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words?
telling with mastery of man's beginnings (line 6)
because the Almighty made him anathema (line 25)
blundering back with the butchered corpses (line 40)
Grendel's powers of destruction were plain (line 42)
Which lines from Beowulf help develop the theme that a hero should win glory through acts of bravery?
"Greetings to Hrothgar. I am Hygelac's kinsman,/one of his hall-troop. (lines 142-143)
...sailors brought stories of the plight you suffer/in this legendary hall...(lines 146-147)
So every elder and experienced councilman/among my people supported my resolve...(lines 150-151)
Now I mean to be a match for Grendel, settle the outcome in a single combat. (lines 160-161)
Epic poems reflect the culture and time in which they are written. Beowulf does this mainly by---
using formal syntax to show the seriousness of Anglo-Saxon culture
including long speeches that refer to events from Anglo-Saxon history
telling a story about a hero who embodies the ideals of the Anglo-Saxons
including details about the crafts and technology developed by the Anglo-Saxons
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
show that Grendel presents no real challenge
stress the excess of Grendel's greed
Read line 79 from Beowulf
So Grendel waged his lonely war,
In what specific way is this line an example of a rhythmic pattern often found in Old English poetry?
It consists of four metrical feet that each have one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable
It has two consecutive stressed syllables followed by a series of alternating stressed and unstressed syllables
It contains four unstressed syllables
It contains four stressed syllables
Reread lines 85-93. What does this description suggest about Grendel's impact on the Danes?
These were hard times, heart-breaking/ for the prince of the Shieldings; powerful counsellors,/ the highest in the land, would lend advice,/plotting how best the bold defenders/ might resist and beat off sudden attacks./Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed/ offerings to idols, swore oaths/ that the killer of souls might come to their aid/ and save the people. That was their way,...
They have lost hope of ever defeating Grendel
They are driven by the desire for revenge against Grendel
They are divided over how to respond to Grendel's attacks
They are so desperate that they are seeking supernatural help
Read lines 109-118. What theme can be inferred from this characterization of Beowulf?
When he heard about Grendel, Hygelac's thane/was on home ground, over in Geatland./ There was no one else like him alive./ In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth,/ high-born and powerful. He ordered a boat/ 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./ Nobody tried to keep him form going,/ no elder denied him, dear as he was to them.
A hero should seek to help others
a leader should be physically strong
the bravest people are usually of noble birth
a wise person should seek advice before acting
Read lines 215-218. Which two words best match the definition of whetted as it is used in these lines?
Time and again, when the goblets passed/ and seasoned fighters got flushed with beer/they would pledge themselves to protect Herot/ and wait for Grendel with whetted swords.
Which description of Grendel from the poem best supports the universal theme that Beowulf's battle with him is a contest between good and evil?
It harrowed him/ to hear the din of the loud banquet...
Malignant by nature, he never showed remorse.
If Grendel wins, it will be a gruesome day...
He had conjured the harm from the cutting edge/ of every weapon.
Mark the lines that use kennings
Grendel was the name of this grim demon
When he heard about Grendel, Hygelac's thane/ was on home ground
With his own hands he had killed Heatholaf
The dread of the land was desperate to escape
Which theme is implied by Hrothgar's speech to Beowulf in lines 191-214
Hrothgar, the helmet of Shieldings, spoke:/ "Beowulf, my friend, you have travelled here/ to favour us with help and to fight for us./ There was a feud one time, begun by your father./With his own hands he had killed Heatholaf,/ who was a Wulfing; so war was looming/ and his people, in fear of it, forced him to leave./ He came away then over rolling waves/ to the South-Danes here, the sons of honor./ I was then in the first flush of kingship,/ establishing my sway over all the rich strongholds/ of this heroic land. Heorogr/ my older brother and the better man,/ also a son of Halfdane's, had died./ Finally I healed the feud by paying:/ I shipped a treasure-trove to the Wulfings/ and Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance./ It bothers me to burden anyone/ with all the grief Grendel has caused/ and the havoc he has wreaked upon us in Herot/ our humiliations. My household-guard/ are on the wane, fate sweeps them away/ into Grendel's clutches--/ but God can easily halt these raids and harrowing attacks?"
wise leadership requires many years of experience
it is shameful to rely on strangers to fight your battles
By helping others, you can gain support when you need it
People who engage in violent feuds should be harshly punished
Who is the author of Beowulf?
unknown
a Catholic priest
