Review Notes for English 4 Final

Beowulf

An epic poem written in Old English, telling the story of a hero who slays the monster Grendel and his mother.

Kennings

Descriptive phrases used in Beowulf to describe people, often with hyphens and quotes.

Grendel

A monster who terrorizes King Hrothgar's mead-hall and is eventually killed by Beowulf.

Herot

King Hrothgar's mead-hall, where the Danes are tortured by Grendel for 12 years.

Grendel's Mother

The second monster Beowulf fights, who takes Grendel's arm and kills the King's right-hand man.

Wiglaf

The only man who stays and fights alongside Beowulf against the dragon.

Canterbury Tales

A collection of stories told by pilgrims on a journey to pay respect to Thomas Becket.

Harry Bailey

The host of the pilgrimage in Canterbury Tales.

The Knight

A character in Canterbury Tales who tells the first tale and is a skilled warrior.

The Pardoner

A character in Canterbury Tales who takes bribes and is morally corrupt.

The Wife of Bath

A character in Canterbury Tales who has had five husbands.

The Summoner

A character in Canterbury Tales who has acne and is responsible for summoning people to court.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

A medieval romance poem about a knight who accepts a challenge from a mysterious green knight.

King Arthur

The legendary king in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The Green Knight

A mysterious character who challenges Sir Gawain to a beheading game.

A Modest Proposal

A satirical essay by Jonathan Swift suggesting that poor Irish children be eaten to solve the problem of poverty.

Marlowe - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

A pastoral poem in which a shepherd offers simple pleasures to his love.

Raleigh - The Shutdown Poem

A poem written from the perspective of a cynical woman who does not believe in love.

Beowulf can best be described as a

brutal, barbaric, violent, and romantic area poem

What two groups of people first claimed Britain (then Briton)?

The Angles and Saxons

What kind of poem based on facts was told orally for a long time?

An Epic Poem

How many years were the Danes tortured by Grendel?

12 years

What religious figure is Grendel connected to?

Cain

What are the two reasons Grendel continuously attacks the Danes?

He is tired of the noise from the mead-hall and God banished his from society

Why does Beowulf go after Grendel’s mother?

She takes Grendel’s arm from the mead-hall

What does Beowulf receive as a trophy for killing Grendel and his mother?

Treasures and gold

How many years pass before Beowulf decides to go fight the dragon?

50 years

What happens to Beowulf’s sword when he is fighting the dragon?

The dragon melts the sword

Why does Beowulf die?

He has a neck wound

What is the ONE thing every hero knows is inevitable?

Death

What is alliteration?

Repetitive consonants

What is are metaphors?

Comparison not using like/as

What is are similes?

Comparisons using like/as

What are the main characteristics of epic heroes?

They hold society as their greatest importance, they go on quests, preform a heroic deed and their actions affect a large group of people

What does everyone do after Beowulf dies?

They build him a tower and ride on their horses in circles around it

Who are the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales paying tribute to?

The martyr Thomas Becket

Where do the pilgrims meet to depart for their journey?

The Tabbard Inn

What was the most prevalant language during the Middle Ages?

Latin

What was the most popular literature during the Middle Ages?

Allegory

The Knight

He has been in a lot of battles, never leaves anyone alive, tells the first tale

The Doctor

Bases everything on astronomy

The Merchant

Geoffrey Chaucher cannot remember his name, he has a forked beard

The Miller

Was a wrestler

The Yeoman

The squire’s servant (robin hood type character)

The Franklin

Looks like Santa Claus

The Shipman (the sailor)

Cannot ride a horse

The Cook

Has an oozing ulcer on his knee

Who are the tradesmen?

Haberdasher

What are the tradesmen?

Dyer

What are the tradesmen?

Carpenter

What are the tradesmen?

Weaver

What are the tradesmen?

Carpet Maker

The Oxford Student

AKA The Clerk, based off of Chaucher

The Nun (Madame Eglantine)

Traveling with 3 priests and another nun

What is under the Oak Tree?

Death….

How do the young men decide to kill the younger one?

By stabbing him

How does the younger man decide to kill the two older ones?

By poisoning him

What challenge does the Green Knight present?

For someone to chop off his head, one blow, and then come find him a year a one day later to return the blow

The Green Knight is

Sarcastic and rude

What is the Green Knight’s real name?

Bertilak

One the second day

Gawain receives two kisses

What is the name of King Arthur’s castle?

Camelot

What is the green in the girdle symbolic of?

Gawain being a coward

Eating babies will also solve of the problem of

Too many Roman Catholics

What much money will each child be worth?

10 shillings

The shepherd never mentions

All of the negative things that could happen with his “passionate love”

What is a pastoral poem?

A poem that takes place in a pasture or out in nature