Beowulf – Objective Test – Raffel Translation
Matching – match the character with the correct descriptor
Fre Previw
1. Shild Shilding
2. Hrothgar
3. Beo
4. Beowulf
5. Welthow
6. Grendel
7. Grendel’s Mother
8. Herot
9. Finn
10. Seigmund
11. Hermod
12. Higlac
13. Unferth
14. Wiglaf
15. Edgetho
A. epic hero with superhuman strength
B. represents family vengeance and rage
C. descendent of Shild and Beo who rules the Danes
D. Beowulf’s dad
E. Wextan’s who remains loyal to Beowulf
AB. Hrothgar’s wife
AC. Danish thane who challenges Beowulf’s fame
AD. ancestor of Danes, orphaned as child
AE. the sword used by Beowulf
BC. king of the Geats in Beowulf’s early life
BD. son of Shild
BE. ogre who terrorized Herot for twelve years
CD. model of good leader; handles glory well
CE. mead hall
DE. rule of Frisians, attacked wife’s family
ABC. a sea monster who attacks Beowulf
BCD. King whose pride/hubris brought him down
True/False – True=A, False=B
16. Beowulf is a poem.
17. Beowulf battles a fire-breathing dragon.
18. Grendel is occasionally referred to as a “ring-giver.”
19. Beowulf is a Geat.
20. Herot is meant to honor and symbolize the prosperity of Daneland.
21. Beowulf rules as King of Geatland for many years.
22. The author of Beowulf was Homer, a blind poet who also wrote the Iliad.
23. Beowulf is buried with the treasure from the dragon.
24. The action of Beowulf takes place almost entirely in England after the conquest of
the Anglo-Saxon people.
25. Before their battle Beowulf “boasts” that he will defeat Grendel or die trying.
26. Grendel’s described “ancestry” is actually a Biblical allusion.
27. Beowulf agrees to assist Hrothgar because he owes him wergild.
28. The sword in Grendel’s cave could be considered an example of divine
intervention.
29. Hrothgar is actually afraid of Beowulf and initially avoids meeting him.
30. Beowulf is the oldest surviving piece of literature that can be considered
“English.”
31. Despite originating among pagan people, Beowulf contains numerous allusions
and reference to Judeo-Christian ideas.
32. After Beowulf’s death Wiglaf predicts another fifty years of peace and prosperity.
Matching II – match the term with its descriptor
Fre Previw
33. hrunting
34. herot
35. wergild
36. Daneland
37. Geatland
38. Heroic ideal
39. Comitatus
40. pyre
41. kenning
A. system of loyalty and service
B. funeral fire
C. “man-price”
D. a mead hall
E. Grendel’s lair
AB. descriptive metaphor
AC. a sword
AD. cultural values of Anglo-Saxon
AE. Hrothgar’s tribe
BC. divine intervention
BD. Beowulf’s tribe
Quotes – Identify the speaker or subject
A. Hrothgar
E. Wiglaf
AE. Seigmund
B. Beowulf
AB. Grendel
BC. Hermod
C. Welthow
AC. Edgetho
BD. Higlac
D. Unferth
AD. Finn
42. You are Beowulf, are you the same boastful fool who fought a swimming match
with Brecca … but no one could check such pride …?
43. I bought the end of Edgetho’s quarrel, sent ancient treasures to the Wulfings …
[and] your father swore he’d keep that peace.
44. Who is “your father” in #47?
45. Your lord gave you gifts, swords and armor you stand in now … War came and
you ran like cowards, dropped your swords as soon as the danger was real …
[now] the life you can lead [is] branded in disgrace.
46. Hail … Higlac is my cousin and my king; the days of my youth are filled with
glory. Now Grendel’s name has echoed in our land … and Grendel and I are
called together …
47. Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred
… up from the swampland, sliding silently …
48. [He] could have hoped for at least as much. He was once the mightiest of men.
But pride and defeat and betrayal sent him into exile with the Jutes, and he ended
his life on their swords. [Who is he?]
49. In his far off home, Higlac’s follower and the strongest of the Geats … heard how
Grendel filled nights with horror. [Subject]
50. Be not, as Hermod once was to my people, too proud to care what their hearts
hid, bringing them only destruction and slaughter. [Speaker?]
51. None of his comrades came to him, helped him, his brave and noble followers,
ran for their lives, fled deep in the woods. [Subject]