Grendel
Reading Guide
Name: ___________________________________
Chapter 1
1.
During what season of the year does Grendel’s tale begin?
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2.
What animal does Grendel encounter? How do they react to each other?
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3.
Identify one kenning with which Grendel describes himself. How does he feel about himself?
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4.
What effect does the coming of spring have on Grendel?
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5.
Why does Grendel think his mother stays in their stinking cave?
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6.
For how many years has Grendel been coming to Hrothgar’s meadhall? For what purpose does he come?
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7.
Briefly describe the aftermath of the attack for Grendel and for the Danes.
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Chapter 2
1.
Identify three things Grendel reveals about his childhood.
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2.
How does Grendel discover the world outside his cave? What effect does this have on him?
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3.
How does Grendel feel about his mother?
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4.
What causes Grendel’s encounter with the bull? How does he react? How does it end?
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5.
What leads to Grendel’s first encounter with men? How does Grendel react? How do the men treat him?
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6.
For what primary reason does Grendel fear men?
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7.
How does Grendel escape the men?
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Chapter 3
1.
What does Grendel observe in various stages of the conflict between men in the beginning?
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2.
Identify two changes as the wars intensify. How does Grendel react to the wars?
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3.
How does Hrothgar expand his kingdom?
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4.
What is the Shaper’s role in Hrothgar’s kingdom? How does he influence the Danes?
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5.
How does Grendel react to the Shaper’s stories? Why do they affect him this way?
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Chapter 4
1.
What inspires Hrothgar to build a great meadhall? What does he name it? How does Grendel react?
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2.
What are Grendel’s conclusions about the Shaper?
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3.
What does the Shaper’s story about the creation of the earth imply about Grendel? What does this cause
Grendel to do? How do the thanes react? What is Grendel’s conclusion about the world and his role in it?
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Chapter 5
1.
Briefly describe the dragon and his lair.
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2.
How does the dragon initially treat Grendel? To what does he compare Grendel?
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3.
What does Grendel do that angers the dragon?
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4.
What is Grendel’s primary purpose for visiting the dragon? What advice does the dragon give him?
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5.
How does the dragon explain the shaper’s role? Why does he think men need the Shaper?
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6.
What two things does the dragon attempt to explain to Grendel?
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7.
Where does the dragon think the “essence of life” is to be found?
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8.
What does the dragon think is the gist of the meaning of life?
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9.
What does the dragon believe to be Grendel’s role in the world of men? How does Grendel react to this
proposal?
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10.
What is the dragon’s great ambition?
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Chapter 6
1.
How does Grendel view the world after his visit to the dragon? What physical effect does Grendel realize
his visit has had on him? What does this cause Grendel to do?
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2.
Give two kennings that describe Grendel. How does he attain his identity, and how does it make him feel?
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3.
Identify the thane who challenges Grendel. Who wins the battle? How?
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4.
Where does Unferth pursue Grendel? Why does he do so?
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5.
How does Unferth’s quest to kill Grendel end?
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Chapter 7
1.
What is “Grendel’s Law”?
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2.
What effect do the wars and Grendel’s raids have on Hrothgar’s army? What does Hrothgar do to
counteract the damage caused by the wars and Grendel?
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3.
Who is Hrothgar’s most threatening enemy? What “peace offering” does this man offer to avoid war with
Hrothgar’s thanes? How does Hrothgar respond?
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4.
How does the interchange between the two kings affect Grendel?
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5.
What effect does Wealtheow have on Hrothgar’s kingdom? on Grendel?
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6.
What does one of the thanes reveal about Unferth? How does Unferth respond? How is the conflict
resolved?
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7.
Identify two implications that Wealtheow is not completely happy in her new life.
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8.
Identify the metaphor that refers to Hygmod’s reaction to Hrothgar.
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9.
Why does Grendel want to kill Wealtheow? What effect does his action toward Wealtheow have on him?
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Chapter 8
1.
Identify Hrothulf, and briefly explain why he comes to live at Hart.
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2.
What do Hrothulf’s soliloquies reveal about his opinion of Hrothgar’s kingdom?
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3.
What feelings and predictions does Wealtheow reveal while Hrothulf sleeps?
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4.
What does Grendel observe “growing” in Hrothulf and in the other Danes? How does this make Grendel
feel?
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5.
Who is Red Horse? What advice does he give Hrothulf about the possibility of a revolution? Why do
they disagree?
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6.
What does Hrothgar foresee as a future problem or threat from the following: Hrothulf, Hygmod, Ingeld,
his treasure-hoard, Wealtheow?
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7.
Why does Grendel feel justified in continuing his raids on the Danes?
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Chapter 9
1.
Identify three symbols of death at the beginning of this chapter.
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2.
For what are the Scylding priests praying? How does Grendel react to their religious rituals?
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3.
Identify three kennings that refer to the Scyldings’ gods.
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4.
Who is Ork? Whom does Grendel pretend to be when he meets Ork?
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5.
What does Grendel ask Ork to tell him about? How does Ork respond? How does Ork react to his own
revelation?
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6.
What does Ork believe is the “ultimate evil in the…world”? Why does he believe this?
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7.
How do the other four priests respond to Ork’s disclosure that he has talked with the Great Destroyer?
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8.
What does Grendel do as the priests discuss Ork and his theories?
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9.
What does Grendel’s feeling of waiting imply?
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Chapter 10
1.
What does Grendel think is the worst pain?
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2.
Briefly explain Grendel’s encounter with the goat.
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3.
Give three examples of everyday life in the Scyldings’ towns.
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4.
What happens to the Shaper? How does Grendel react?
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5.
What is implied by the reference to the middle-aged woman who learns of the Shaper’s death?
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6.
Who sings at the Shaper’s funeral? What does he sing about? What happens to the Shaper’s body?
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7.
What does Grendel think his mother is saying to him? How does he react?
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8.
What are Grendel’s final words in the chapter?
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Chapter 11
1.
How many men arrive by sea? How does Grendel react?
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2.
How does the Geats’ leader convince the coastguard to take him to the king? How does Grendel react to
the Geats’ story?
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3.
How do Hrothgar’s thanes react to the arrival of the Geats? Why?
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4.
Why is Grendel reluctant to kill all the Danes? Why does he believe he must kill the stranger?
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5.
What causes conflict between Beowulf and Unferth? How is it resolved? How does this affect Grendel?
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Chapter 12
1.
Briefly describe Grendel’s initial actions during his final raid of the meadhall.
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2.
What strategy does Beowulf use to capture Grendel? How does Grendel attempt to escape? What thwarts
his plan?
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3.
What does Beowulf do that further confuses Grendel?
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4.
To what does Grendel attribute Beowulf’s ability to overpower him?
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5.
What does Beowulf command Grendel to sing about?
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6.
What is Beowulf’s final act of destruction? How does Grendel respond to this?
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7.
Where does Grendel go to die? What are his final words? To whom does he direct them?
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