A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. Beowulf may have been first told by a scop who was a(n)

A. traveling entertainer
B. monk
C. epic hero

_____ 2. Two conflicting codes in this poem are

A. Christian and pagan
B. materialist and idealist
C. political and spiritual

_____ 3. Beowulf sails to Denmark because

A. he wants to fight Grendel
B. Hrothgar invited him
C. a big reward was offered

_____ 4. Grendel is a descendant of

A. Satan
B. Chaos
C. Cain

_____ 5. Hrothgar once fought with

A. King Higlac
B. Beowulf's father Edgetho
C. The king of the Wulfings

_____ 6. The Finnsburg Episodes is told to bring up the theme of
I. treachery
II. kinship
III. revenge

A. I and III only
B. I and II only
C. I, II, and III

_____ 7. Beowulf kills Grendel's mother with

A. a shaft of holy light
B. her own son's claw
C. a magical sword

_____ 8. Unlike Hrothgar, in his old age Beowulf seeks

A. a son figure
B. one last moment of glory
C. wisdom

_____ 9. The dragon begins to attack the Geats because

A. a cup was stolen from its hoard
B. its son was killed
C. God makes him punish the faithless Geats

_____ 10. After Beowulf dies, we sense that the Geats will

A. use the treasure wisely
B. become prey to their enemies
C. live in peace at last

11. One of the major themes of Beowulf is the contrast between youth and age. Discuss.

12. Analyze the various aspects of Beowulf's personality. In what ways do you think he's a hero?

13. Analyze the structure of the poem. Focus on how the historical digressions fit into the main narrative.

14. Define the following terms: kenning, alliteration, litote.

15. Why is the code of ethics between warrior and king so important to Anglo-Saxon society?

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