Name
Date
Class
Literary Element (page 23)
Conflict
from Beowulf
ANONYMOUS
Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story or drama. An external conflict exists when a character struggles against an outside force. An internal
conflict takes place within a character’s mind. By analyzing conflicts, you can gain
insight into a story’s characters, author, and even human nature itself. The author of
Beowulf laces his epic with bloody conflict. His hero fights for fame and risks death
for glory. But he also experiences conflict within himself.
AC TIVIT Y
Directions Examine each of these passages to analyze conflict in Beowulf. In
the second column, include the conflict’s motivation in describing the opposing
forces.
Identifying and Analyzing Conflict in Beowulf
Type, Description, and
Resolution of the
Conflict
What the Conflict Implies
About Character, Culture,
or Human Nature
Grendel Attacks the Danes:
“He slipped through the door
and . . ./Snatched up thirty
men . . .” (ll. 36–37)
1.
2.
The Coming of Beowulf:
“Strangers,/From wherever it
was you sailed, tell it,/And tell
it quickly . . .” (ll. 149–151)
3.
4.
The Battle with Grendel:
“His mind was flooded with
fear—but nothing/could take
. . . himself from that tight/
Hard grip.” (ll. 312–314)
5.
6.
The Battle with Grendel’s
Mother: “she drew/A dagger
. . ./To avenge her only son.”
(ll. 473–475)
7.
8.
The Battle with the Dragon:
“Sorrow beat at his heart: he
accused/Himself of breaking
God’s law . . .” (ll. 708–709)
9.
10.
Unit 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages –
from Beowulf
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Section: Passage That
Reflects Conflict
17
Name
Date
Class
Reading Strategy (page 23)
Identifying Sequence
from Beowulf
ANONYMOUS
When you identify sequence, you find the logical order of ideas or events in a text.
To follow a plot or trace a character’s experiences, you must understand the sequence of events. Here is the sequence of events from “The Coming of Beowulf ”:
1. Beowulf ’s father Edgetho wins fame as a great soldier.
2. Beowulf arrives in Denmark.
3. Beowulf meets King Hrothgar.
If you read lines 118–216, you will find that the information is not presented in
this order. In fact, after Beowulf reaches Denmark, he tells a guard about his father.
AC TIVITY
Directions Read the events in the box and identify their sequence by writing the
letter of each event in its appropriate arrow.
A. Beowulf kills
B. Beowulf is cremated
C. The poet tells the story
E. Beowulf wins fame
F. Hrothgar gives
Grendal
Beowulf
G. Dragon kills
in his youth
H. Monsters are born
Beowulf
J. Thirty Danes
of Cain
K. Beowulf ’s father
from Beowulf
are killed
gifts to Beowulf
I. Beowulf kills
Grendel’s mother
L. Hrothgar fights
wins fame
great battles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Active Reading Graphic Organizer
Ask your teacher for a copy of the Sequence Graphic Organizer. Use the graphic
organizer to analyze the sequence of events in other literary works.
18
Unit 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages –
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
D. Geats abandon
Name
Date
Class
Selection Vocabulary Development (page 23)
Analogies
from Beowulf
ANONYMOUS
Vocabulary
lament n. an expression of sorrow; song or literary composition
that mourns a loss or a death
forged adj. formed or shaped, often with blows or pressure after
heating
shroud n. a burial cloth
infamous adj. having a bad reputation; notorious
writhing adj. twisting, as in pain
E X E R C I S E A Practice with Analogies
Choose from the five vocabulary words to solve each of the following analogies.
1. sadness : smile :: happiness :
2. god-fearing : sinful :: unknown :
3. foolish : wise :: comfortable :
4. plain : fancy :: formless :
E X E R C I S E B Applying Meanings Through Analogy
Choose from the five vocabulary words to fill in each blank.
1. A(n)
villain is like a famous hero.
2. The carpenter had carved wood, and the blacksmith had
3. Grief filled the
like joy filled the carol.
4. The disguise required a mask as the burial required a
5. Pain brought
steel.
.
as fear had brought shaking.
E X E R C I S E C Responding to the Selection
from Beowulf
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5. life : death :: robe :
Imagine that you are retelling the story of Beowulf to a younger student. On a separate piece of
paper, write what you would say, using ALL of the vocabulary words.
Unit 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages –
19
Name
Date
Class
Comparing Epics (page 54)
Graphic Organizer
BEOWULF, GILGAMESH, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS
When comparing literary elements and cultural influences across selections,
consider not just the events that occur, but also the ideas they suggest. Using the
questions below as a starting point, ask yourself additional questions to help you
understand the topics more deeply. Analyzing aspects of a genre across cultures and
time will yield insights into universal themes and cultural identities.
AC TIVITY
Comparing Literature
from Beowulf
“The Death of
Humbaba” from
Gilgamesh
“The Battle of
the Pelennor
Fields” from
The Lord of
the Rings: The
Return of the
King
from The
Collected
Beowulf (the
graphic novel)
The Epic
Warrior
How does the
hero fare in
fights?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Heroes’ Traits
What traits does
the hero show?
5.
6.
7.
8.
Cultures
What cultural
values does the
hero embody?
9.
10.
11.
12.
20
Unit 1 The Anglo-Saxon Period and the Middle Ages –
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Directions After reading the four selections, complete the chart below to track
the epic warrior across cultures and time. If you run out of room, write on the
back of this page.