Chapter 9
Vocabulary
hart - a deer
obsequious - ex(?ssilely willing lo serv€ overly sulmissiv? ,,ri"i ir" - o i.i. t.'tftop" d onioJ lime attaAed to a Qve rooJ
illtclr.o te - dimmtLry
concresceBce - tle 4.1 oJ gro',ing or incredsing
osstli,ed, - cotYerted to bone
lrethet - belov under; in aTower place
l.
passes through?
What are the children in the village doing when Grendel
2-
Why is Grendel distwbed by the death of the hart?
-3.
moving away from fie belief
What evidence is there in tiis chapter that the peoPle are
God?
ln many gods toward Christianity and the believe in one
4.
about the King of Gods
List three bits of wisdom the old priest relates !o Grendel
-5.
Rea<l the
priest and Grendel'
following except from the conversation between lhe old
consider these
and
cr?ndel'his definition of the ttltimate Evil' Read
irr"-pi*i
"ir.
words'
passages and then rewrite them in your own
and being actual involves
"The ulrimate evil is that Time is Perpetual Perishing
" (Pg. 132) " 'Thing; fade and Altematives exclude ' (Pg rf3)
;;;;;"
s,1r
o
n words relaie the Priestb definition of Ultimate Wisdom?
6.
ln your
7.
haf ing a
Describe the fourth priest! reaction to the old priests story about
conversation {'ith The Destroyer'
8.
Why do you think Grendel is uneasy at the end of rhis chapler?
s-rz
Chapter 10
of a stope
oJ p&bl,,s at thebase
rn"
",*^xlation
omnipotence - ualirnited Po'er
!ii!!\ro*,
l.'
to slop
mountain despite.Grendel's allempts
the
climbiEg
stupidly
goat
The story o{ the "whaL
rePresent i
do you t hink lhe goat might
,t''o rnloort..
"
2.
Shaper dies?
How does Grendel feel after the
3
'
that "One evil
about dme and why he believes
Brieflv telate Grendel! observations
* loss lor all eterniry" (Pg 146)
i""i
4.
l"t.a
"
How does she feel
at this point in the novel?
mother
his
about
feel
Grendel
How does
about him?
s-13
Chapter I I
Vocabulary
lineage - dnaestry
slal^gmite a colli&tl buildup or the Jloor
oJ a
cdle
l
Why do you think Grendel is "mad \r'ith joy" because strangers have come?
2.
Describe the leader of the strangers. what evidenc€ is there that this unnamed
stranger is Beowulf? What literary term is used in the description of Beowulfs beard?
3.
Grendel spen& his life watching men. He think they do mysterious things- Through
his observations, Grendel draws some conclusions. what does he conclude about the
way man schedules or orders his lilel
,1.
what two parts do€s Grendel think the world is divided into? How wili that alfect
him?
5.
The old priest told Grendel in Chapter 9 that the nature of evil is that 'lhings fade'
and 'Alternatives exclude.' " (Pg. 133) The priest is referring to th€ facl that as lhe
univers€ changes, the creatures in it u.ill fade from life, to be replaced by alternatives or
other lives. This is a patural process. Ultimate wisdom declares that nothing s ever
lost. The things that fade are not lost; they become part of the new order.
When the strangers appear, they rhallenge the priest's beliels because if they kill
Grendel they interfere $'ith this process. How does this philosophy hefu to explain
why Grendel chooses to fight Beowulf rather than remain safe in his owlr cave?
s- I.1
6.
The stranger tells the story of swimrning in the ocean because of a bet with BrecaState a generalization about life the stranger lives by and uses to sum uP this
7.
What litemry term is exemplified by GrendelS comment on Page 165: "He lBeowulf]
knew a doomed house when he saw it..."
Chapter 12
1.
What evidence is there in the way Gardner describes the battle bet$een Grendel and
the stranger that the stranger may be empowered by God?
2.
Why does Grendel say that the stranger is able to defeat him only because of accidentsl
3.
Some critics believe that Grendel is
4.
As Grendel is
5.
How is it possible for Grendel to er.alain the story when, after all, he has been killed?
killed more by the sfianger's words than by his
actions. Through the stranSer! words, Grendel comes to know tiat the philosophy of
the dragon that he has lived by is false. Grendel realizes that the mind of man has the
power to change realiqr The Shap€r's songs of peace and happiness are visions of the
mind and can in time become reality. Do you agree with the critics? Cite passag€s
frorn the strangerl words to Grendel that might suPport or refute this idea.
dlng
he asks, "ts it
joy
might feel
at his death?
joy 1 feel?" (PB. 173) Why do you suppose Grendel
s
15