Humanities—Mr.Alper Name____________________________________________

BeowulfPartIQuestions Date__________________________ Period_____________

Beowulf Guided Reading Questions RecallandComprehensionQuestions

1.WhatdoscholarsassumeabouttheoriginsofBeowulf?

2.WhatisthepoeticstyleofBeowulf?

3.WhowasShild?WhydidtheDaneslovehim?Howdidtheyshowit?

4.WhoisHrothgar?

5.WhatwasHerot?WhywasitimportanttotheDanes?

6.WhowasGrendel?Whatishisbackground?

7.HowlongdoesGrendelterrorizetheDanes?Whatdoeshenotdoduringallthattime?

8.WhoisBeowulf?

9.WhatreasondoesBeowulfgiveforgoingtoDenmark?

10.WhatdoesBeowulftellHrothgarabouthimselfwhentheyfirstmeet?

11.WhatdoesUnferthsaytoBeowulf?HowdoesBeowulfrespond?

12.WhatdoBeowulf’smenthinkaboutastheygotosleepinHerot?

13.HowdoesGrendelreactwhenBeowulfseizeshim?

14.HowdoesBeowulfdefeatGrendel?WhatdoesGrendeldoafterward?

15.HowdoesGrendel’smotheravengehisdeath?

16.DescribeGrendel’smother’slair

17.WhatisHrunting?WhathappenswhenBeowulfusesit?

18.HowdoesBeowulfultimatelydefeatGrendel’smother?

19.HowlonghasBeowulfbeenrulingtheGeatsatthebeginningofPartIII?

20.WhatpromptsthedragontoattacktheGeats?

21.HowmanymendoesBeowulftakewithhimtofacethedragon?

22.Whatdohismendowhenthedragonattacks?

23.WhoisWiglaf?Whatdoeshedothatdistinguisheshimfromtheothers?

24.Howisthedragondefeated?

25.WhydoesBeowulfsayhecandiehappily?

26.WhatdotheGeatsdowithBeowulf’sbequest?

AnalysisandInterpretationQuestions:PartI:1.Inthefirstpartofthepoem,theBeowulf‐poetportraysasuccessfulking.ThroughHrothgar’s

achievements,thepoetsuggestshisownsystemofvalues.Whatseemstomattermosttopeopleinhissociety?

2.DuringtheaccountofthefightbetweenBeowulfandGrendel,thenarrativepointofviewkeepsshifting.Whoseviewpointsarerepresented?Whataretheconsequencesforthereaderofthisshiftingperspective?

PartII:1.IntheaccountsofBeowulf’svictoriesoverbothGrendelandhismother,anothermandiesbeforeBeowulfis

victorious.ThispuzzlessomereaderswhothinkBeowulfshouldhavepreventedthesedeaths.Whymightthepoethavedecidedtoincludethesedeaths?

2.ThepoethasanunusuallylongdescriptionofGrendel’smother’slair.Whatpurposesdoesthispassageserve?

PartIII1.ThereareanumberofparallelsbetweenBeowulf’syouthfulfightwithGrendelandGrendel’smother,and

hislastbattlewiththedragon.Compareandcontrastthesecriticalfeatures:(a)thecauseofeachmonster’sattackonhumanity;(b)Beowulf’smotivesincounteringtheattack;(c)Beowulf’spreparationsforbattle;(d)thesymbolicdetailsofthefightasitprogresses;and(e)itsconclusion.

2.ComparethefidelityofBeowulf’smeninthethreemajorbattleshefights.Whatpatternemerges?

3.Attheendofthepoem,doestheattitudetowardstherewardsoftreasureandthevalueofmaterialwealthshift?

4.ForwhatreasonsdoBeowulfandhismenplanandcarryouttheelaboratefuneralatthepoem’send?

5.Nowthatyouhavefinishedthestory,reconsiderwhytheBeowulf‐poetbeganwithShild’sfuneral.