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THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ________________________________________________________ Date: ______________
DRAMA: The Corpse-Maker • SKILL: Test Prep
The Corpse-Maker Quiz
1. What motivates Beowulf to come to Denmark?
A He wants to marry King Hrothgar’s daughter.
B He thinks Grendel will be easy to kill.
C He defeated all the monsters in Geatland.
D His mission as a warrior is to battle enemies.
2. Read this sentence from Scene 1 of the play:
“A horrible monster springs from the shadows.”
In which of the following sentences does spring
have the same meaning as in the sentence above?
A Peter offered to spring for dessert.
B The wolf lurked nearby, ready to spring.
C The weeds seemed to spring up overnight.
D Did Charlie’s old boat spring another leak?
3. During the play, Unferth’s attitude toward
Beowulf changes from _______ to _______.
A boastful, gloomy
B jealous, wavering
C critical, admiring
D vicious, heroic
4. Which line from the play BEST shows how much
the people of Hrothgar’s kingdom have suffered?
A EMBLA: Now, Heorot sits quiet and empty every
night.
EOWULF: Many tales of the corpse-maker
BB
who terrorizes you have reached our ears.
C QUEEN: Entire families have been murdered.
We have lost nearly all of our best warriors.
ANDSCIO: Beowulf is powerful, but I fear no
DH
man is a match for this monster.
5. Read this line from Scene 3 of the play: “It is
terrible to think of the violence these walls
have seen.” What literary device is used in this
sentence?
A simile, comparing walls to warriors
B metaphor, representing walls as violent
C hyperbole, exaggerating the abilities of walls
D personification, giving a human characteristic
to walls
6. In Scene 3, when Beowulf offers to slay Grendel,
King Hrothgar’s initial response implies that
A he does not believe Beowulf is a great warrior.
B he thinks Grendel can’t be defeated.
C he has lost several family members to Grendel.
D he doesn’t want help from an outsider.
7. In Scene 4, dialogue reveals that Embla, Gudrun,
and Oddmar feel _____ the events that took place
in Scene 1.
A cautious of
B excited by
C hopeless about
D frightened by
8. Which idea is NOT supported by the play?
A Victory should be rewarded with riches.
B Good triumphs over evil.
C Heroes are remembered for their deeds.
D For a warrior, humility is more important than
strength.
Directions: Write your answers on the back of this paper or type them up on a computer.
9. What details from the play reveal that this story
takes place in medieval times? Consider aspects
of the setting, language, and character behaviors
in your response.
10. In Scene 4, Beowulf says, “Sometimes, fate
rewards men for their courage.” What does
he mean? Does fate “reward” Beowulf for his
courage?
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Directions: Read The Corpse-Maker. Then answer the questions below.