Beowulf Test Review

Epic Hero

a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events

Epic Poem

a long, narrative poem detailing the adventures of an epic hero

Chronological order of Beowulf’s adventures (order of battles)

Grendel starts killing men at night, Beowulf sails to Denmark to defeat Grendel, Grendel & Beowulf battle, Grendel’s mother & Beowulf battle, & Beowulf battles a dragon with Wiglaf

Importance of Lineage

To show they are a great warrior, their background, & how loyal they are

Length of Herot’s torment

12 years

Beowulf’s advantages in battle

strength and surprise

Beowulf’s actions after battle with Grendel

rips of Grendel’s arm

Beowulf’s actions after battle with Grendel’s mother

cuts off her head & Gredel’s

Reign of Beowulf as king

50 years

Beowulf’s final requests

To have the Geats build him a tomb, have him as ashes, built it at the water’s edge, high so sailors can see it, & call it Beowulf’s tower

King of Danes

Hrothgar

King of Geats before Beowulf

Higlac

Christianity influence Beowulf’s poem

when the poem mentions G-d or refers to the bible

How does the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother ends?

Beowulf cuts off her head with a magic sword

How many men does Beowulf bring with him across the sea to Hrothgar’s kingdom?

14

How are Beowulf & his men greeted when they arrive?

by a watchman who was suspicious of them

In his final words to Hrothgar, what does Beowulf say to determine if he lives or dies?

fate

Why does Beowulf toss his sword during the fight?

it is not working

Paraphrase lines 543-562 in the Battle with Grendel’s Mother?

how Beowulf defeats Grendel & that Beowulf goes over to Grendel & takes his head

How is this battle (dragon’s battle) different from the others that Beowulf has fought?

he is older now

How do Beowulf’s companions react when the dragon breathers flame on him?

they leave except for Wiglaf

Anglo-Saxon period

450-1066

Involved what group of people

Jutes, Angles, & Saxons

Prevalent what

violence & revenge killing

Mead hall symbol of what

king’s power

Transition from what

Nordic Polytheism

Transition to what

Christianity

written by

2 Christian Monks

1936 J.R.R Tolkien

Beowulf- The Monsters & the Critics

written in

old English

most epic hero’s come from what

noble birth or above avenge station in life, commonersare rarely epic hero

epic heros are capable of deeds of

great strength & courage

the epic hero has usually what before the epic takes place

established himself as a heroic warrior

the hero often travels what

a great distance

the past to the hero is what

not always clear

the hero must be what before being a hero to the world

some sort of national hero

the epic hero should first be

a great hero in his homeland

the epic hero rarely exhibits what

humility & its often arrogant

the epic hero faces what

supernatural forces &/or get supernatural help

the epic hero proves what

himself over & over