Honors Brit Lit midterm

What is an epic hero?

A character within an epic poem that has superhuman abilities and is able to achieve great thinsg

Is Beowulf an epic hero? How do we know?

He is the embodiment of an epic hero, proud warrior, a Geat, he showcases his strength

What is the overall theme of Beowulf?

Good always triumphs evil

How do we see this theme within the epic poem?

Beowulf defeats evil through battle, Ike killing Grendel and Grendel’s mother

What are teh major events which occur in the epic poem? How do they all connect?

Battle with Grendel

Battle with Grendel’s mother

Battle with the Dragon

They all happen because someone/something is under attack one event led to teh next event happening until Beowulf’s passing

What happens in the battle with Grendel?

Beowulf fought without any weapons and rips off Grendel’s arm and hangs it in Herot as a trophy

What happens in the battle with Grendel’s mother?

Grendel’s mother attacks Herot to get Grendel’s arm back and Beowulf dives into her underwater lair (symbolizes descent into hell/evil) and kills her with, he Kills her with a giants sword blessed by go, decapitaed Grendel’s corpse and takes his head as trophy

What happens in the Battle with the Dragon?

A citizen stole a cup and the Draon attacks Beowulf’s kingdom, Beowulf felt duty bound to face it even though he is old, his sword failed him and Wiglaf remains loyal, Beowulf and Wiglaf defeat the draon, but Beowulf is vey hurt

What is a talon?

A claw

What does Beowulf hang as symbol of his strength ad bravery?

Grendel’s arm

What is Grende’s motivation for attacking so many men?

He is hungry, jealous, and was denied God’ grace

What is Grendel’s reaction after seizing beowulf’s arm?

He is in for a tough battle

The phrase “as he goes to ground, gorged, and bloodied,” is an example of what?

Alliteration

Where has Grendel been attacking?

Herot

The phrase “fate goes over as fate must” is an exmaple of what?

Anglo-Saxon culture

Ho can the reader tell Beowulf is an epic?

The hero is descirbes as someone greater than all men

Whihc of teh follwoing lines form Beowulf contains an exmaple of an kenning?

”Oh shelterer of warriors and your peoples loved friend, / ThatThis one favor you should not refuse me”

From whihc fact can the reader infer that Beowulf is honorable?

beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none

Which line form the epic best explains why Beowulf undertook his quest to fight Grendel

In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth

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

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

The author substitutes the name Grendel with the kenning god- cursed brute in order to

emphasize the depth of Grendel’s evil

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

They are so desperate for relief that tehy are willing to try whatever might help

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

The battle portrays the universal theme of god versus evil

What best defines the central difference between Beowulf and Wiglaf at the end of the epic?

Beowulf is past his prime, Wiglaf is still young and ambitious

Which choice best explains why the author put the battle with Grendel’s mother at the bottom of the lake?

In his speech before he battles the drago, Beowulf says, “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fort in endless battles. I am old now, But i will fight again, see fame still, if the draon hiding in his tower dares to face me”

What do these lines convey about Beowulf’s state of mind?

He’s certain of his strength and wants to inspire his friegthened men to feel the same

In the lines the poet describes death as

A journeyr into darkness that all men must make, as deat ends their few brief hours on earth. Which choice best descirbes what thsi sentient seems to tel us about people 1,200 years ago, when was Beowulf written?

The people of that era owed life as fragile and were fatalistic

Which best summarizes the motivations fo Grendel’s mother?

She wants revenge against the Danes for the death of her son

Wiglaf thinks he and his comrades should help Beowulf fight the dragon because:

In the past tehy had promised to repay Beowulfs kindness with their lives

When the dying Beowulf gives Wiglaf his gold necklace, the gesture means that:

Beowulf is passing on the ruler hsi of Geatland to Wiglaf

When used to describe Beowulf, the phrase “noble protector of all seamen” is an exmaple of ____

a kenning

Beowulf is considered what?

A geat

Hrothgar knew Beowulf’s

father

Beowulfs first troph was Grendel’s

armR

To defeat Grendel, what did Beowulf use?

His bare hands

Grendel’s mother showed her grief for her dead son by doing what?

Attacking Herot

Grendel’s mother hoped to kill Beowulf…

with her knife

Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother

with a gigantic

From whihc factcan we infer that Beowulf is honorable?

Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grdenl has none

Which of the following allsuions does the poet make in reference to Grendel?

Bibilical story of Cain

How long did Grendel terrorize Hrothgars kingodm?

12 years

Grendel couldn’t harm hrothgars throne because

it was protected by God

Beowulf says he wont use weapons against Grendel because

It wouldn’t be a fair fight

Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother by

cutting off her head

Grendel’s mother attempted to to slash Beowulf her claws but

Beowulf catches her hand and crushes it

After defeating Grendel’s mother, Beowulf…

Cuts off Grendel’s head

Beowulf hs been king for how many yeas when he fights the dragon?

50

what happens to Beowulf’s sword during his final battle?

It breaks

Who stays with Beowulf as he is defeated by the dragon?

Wiglaf

What does Wiglaf leave to collect as Beowulf is dying?

The dragons treausre

What does Beowulf give Wiglaf before he dies?

His throne

wiglaf scolds the other warriors for what?

Running out on Beowulf

what is teh name of beouwlfs sword?

Hrunting

What was Beowuld’s final request?

A tower built by the edge of the sea for all sailors to see

Refering to Grendel as “that shadow of death” is an exmaple of:

Kenning

Beowulfs personal reason for coming to Denmark is his:

desire for lasting fame

Beowulf went to aid of the Danes

Out of a sense of duty

Beowulf can best be characterized as.

Heroic

The epic compares Grendel to the Biblical figure of

Cain

In addition to bravery, among the Anglo Saxon virtues for which Beowulf was praised after his. Death was

fairness

T/F: Grendel a powerful, murderous, and loathe some man-eating monster, lives at the bottom fo a foul mountain lake

True

T/F: after massacring thirty of Hrothgar’s men, Grendel continues his attacks on the Danes for twelve more years

True

T/F: the might Geat warrior Beowul travels ot Denmark and promises Hrothgar that he will kill Grendel and restore peace to teh land

True

T/F: In a raid on Herot, Grendel kills one of beowulf’s sleeping en, approaches Beowulf and is seized by him

True

T/F: after fierce struggle. Beowulf draws his sword and slays Grendel

false

T/F: grieving for her son, Grendel’s monster mother attacks Herot and carries off Grendel’s severed arm, claw, nd shoulder

True

T/F: Dving into the lake, Beowulf struggles mightily and finally kills Grendel’s mother with a savage thirst of teh sword he finds

true

T/F: after fifty years as king of the Geats, Beowulf is called upon to battle an evil knight

false

T/F: The legendary Beowulf , now an old man, vanquishes hi fina few but is fatally wounded

True

T/F: Beowulf’s followers cremate their great king and sing praises

true

Who is Chaucer?

Writer of the Canterbury tales and narrates the story. He describes each pilgrim in the prologue in their full array

What is the purpose? Where are the pilgrims traveling? How are each major event connected?

There are 29 pilgrims traveling to a shrine of Saint Thomas à Becket at Canterbury. they all connect because the tales are told on the pilgrimage, they each share stories that go together and inspire what the next one is about

T/F: The rioters learn a friend as died while at the Tavern

True

T/F: the pardoner is a good guy

fasle

T/F: the Pardoner sells pardons for personal gain

true

T/F: the rioters kill death in the end

false

T/F: teh rioters split the treasure they find equally

false

T/F: the knight is in trouble for murdering someone

false

T/F: He has exactly one years figure out the answer to the queens question

false

T/F: each Canterbury tale includes a moral

true

T/F: the wife of bath has experience when it comes to marriage

true

T/F: the knight is able to answer the queens question

true

What does the Pardoner say is the theme of all his sermons

the root of all evil is greed

Whihc of the following most accurately and completely descirbes the Pardoner?

Hyprocrite and swindler (scam artist)

Which of the following best describes the pardoners attitude toward his audience?

He is contemptuous of their piety and gullibility

What does the pardoner say is his reasoning for preaching?

To save souls, turn avaricious souls away for “tavern sins”, and to. Make money

Which best describes what the Pardoner does for a living?

He exploits religion for his own financial gain

Whihc of the following vices (or sins)does the Pardoner address in the preamble to his tale?

Gluttony, gambling, and swearing

Where are these three rioters told that they can find death?

Under the old oak tree

Deah appears to the three rioters in the form of what?

gold coins

What is the genre of this tale of the three rioters?

Examplum

Whihc of these best descirbes the subject of central themes of 1) the prologue 2) the tale?

1) Hypocrisy 2) avarice

The way that the rioters interact with the old an shows their

unkind insensitivity

After the rioters’ rude greeting, the old man

Points them on the way to finding death

As soon as the rioters find the tree and the fold, they,

forget all about Death because of their greed

Two of the rioters plan to kill the youngest by

stabbing him while wrestling

the youngest rioters buys poison because he

wants all he treausre for himself

What does the pardoner want to do when he finishes his tale?

Sell more pardons

According to the Wife of Bath, why can’t people see elves or fairies anymore?

The prayers of holy friars have purged the air of them

What crime does the “ lusty bachelor” knight comit?

He rapes a young maiden when she is aloe by the river