Beowulf Test
Review Sheet Characters: Danes: ●
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King Hrothgar Aeschere Wealhtheow Unferth Geats: ● King Hygelac ● Beowulf ● Wiglaf Demons: ● Grendel ● Grendel’s mother ● the dragon Epic Poem: MUST know the plot of Beowulf: Know details of the following battles… ● Grendel ○ What tactics did Beowulf use? How did he win? Etc. ● Grendel’s mother ○ Where did this happen? What saved Beowulf’s life? How did he kill her? What did he bring back to Hrothgar? ● the dragon ○ Who came to Beowulf’s aid? How did they kill the dragon? Concepts: ● Aspects of Christianity imposed on the poem ○ fate vs. God ● How Beowulf’s tragic flaw led to his downfall ● What the Geats are afraid will happen now that Beowulf is dead ● Know the values of Anglo­Saxon society (on website) ○ courage, truth, honor, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self­reliance & perseverance. Key Terms: pg. 36 ● Poetry
● Anglo­Saxon Coppola Beowulf Test
Review Sheet Who is Hrothgar? Why did he build Heorot and why is it important to the Danes? 64­85 Who is Grendel? Why do they claim he is an ancestor of Cain? 99­114 How long does Grendel terrorize the Danes and why? What does he do the first night he attacks? 120­125, 144­150 What isn’t Grendel able to do in the hall when he stalks it during the night? Why? 166­169 Beowulf is a Geat warrior, so why does he chose to go help the Danes? 194­209 Name two battles Beowulf claims he won when introducing himself to Hrothgar. 419­424 What does Beowulf say he will use (or not use) to fight Grendel? 433­440 Describe what Beowulf says will happen to him if Grendel wins the fight. 442­455 Who does Hrothgar claim could end Grendel’s attacks at any time? 478­479 Hrothgar tells Beowulf his retainers are dwindling. Explain how they’re dying. 480­488 Coppola Beowulf Test
Review Sheet Why does Unferth challenge Beowulf? What story does he claim is true and how does Beowulf respond? List details of Beowulf’s version. 499­581 How did the Geats prepare to fight Grendel? 670­702 What does Beowulf allow Grendel to do and why? lines 736­744 How does Beowulf defeat Grendel? 814­835 When Grendel’s mother attacks Heorot how many men does she kill and what does she steal? 1292­1304 What does Unferth do that shows he now respects Beowulf? 1455­1464 In what two ways does Beowulf’s chainmail save him while battling Grendel’s mother? 1501­1504, 1545­1549 How does Beowulf eventually kill Grendel’s mother? 1557­1569 Coppola Beowulf Test
Review Sheet Why do Hrothgar and the Danes leave the water’s edge? 1591­1699 What two items does Beowulf bring back to King Hrothgar from the water lair? 1612­1617 Describe why we know how grateful Hrothgar is for Beowulf and his help. 1840­1880 Beowulf gives his king, Hygelac, the gifts Hrothgar had given him. List them. 2148­2166 Explain what the scop means when he says, “So ought a kinsman act, instead of plotting and planning in secret to bring his people grief, or conspiring to arrange the death of comrades” (2166­2169). What surprising fact about Beowulf’s history does the reader learn? 2183­2189 What did Beowulf receive from Hygelac for bringing glory to the Geats? 2190­2199 Coppola Beowulf Test
Review Sheet How did King Hrothgar die? 1885­1887 How did King Hygelac die? 2200­2203 How long did Beowulf rule the Geats before he died? 2207­2210 What provoked the dragon to attack the Geats after years of protecting his treasure? 2287­2302 Describe how the dragon attacked. 2312­2323 How does Beowulf choose to fight the dragon? 2529­2541 How does Beowulf draw the dragon into the open? 2550­2556 Why couldn’t Beowulf stab the dragon? 2575­2586 Why does Wiglaf rebuke the rest of the Geat warriors? 2591­2601 Beowulf hit the dragon in the skull with his sword; why didn’t it kill the monster? 2677­2687 How did the dragon manage to kill Beowulf? 2690­2693 & 2711­2717 Coppola Beowulf Test
Review Sheet How does the dragon die? 2694­2705 What are Beowulf’s dying wishes? 2743­2751 & 2799­2808 What does Wiglaf predict will happen now that Beowulf has died? 2884­2891 Is he correct? 3029­3030 Explain Wiglaf’s quote, “Often when one man follows his own will many are hurt” (3077­3078). Coppola