Name: ______________________________________________ Period: ________
Beowulf Part II
1. A kenning is a literary device in which a poetic phrase substitutes for a noun.
Often used in Anglo-Saxon poetry and especially in Beowulf, a kenning
provides powerful imagery that would help the audience focus on the
words of the scop telling the story (example: “sky-candle” for sun). Look
for kennings as you read Part II of Beowulf and write down at least 5 examples.
2. How is this older Beowulf different from the Beowulf who slew Grendel and his mother? (275-287)
3. The image of a lone hero standing up to a fire-breathing dragon or other giant monster is one of the
most archetypal images in Western heroic literature. How does the dragon compare with Grendel
and Grendel’s mother? (318-329)
4. What goes wrong during Beowulf’s battle with the dragon? What are you led to believe about
Beowulf’s ultimate fate? (329-350)
5. How do Beowulf’s men react to the sight of the dragon gaining victory over Beowulf? What
arguments does Wiglaf use to convince the men that they must fight Beowulf? (355-399)
6. The ultimate purpose of the epic hero is to leave something of lasting value to his culture. What has
Beowulf left to his people? What are his final wishes? (411-419)
7. The closing lines of Beowulf serve as a kind of elegy—a poem that mourns the death of a person or
laments something lost. What words or images contribute to this tone? According to these elegiac
final lines of the epic, what qualities made Beowulf a great hero? (438-451)
8. Epic poetry usually embodies the attitudes and ideals of an entire culture. What values of AngloSaxon society does Beowulf reveal? What universal themes does it also reveal? Use specific
examples from the poem to support your answer.