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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Beowulf enters Heorot, what two things does he present to Hrothgar?
(a) Grendel's head and the remains of the giant sword.
(b) A knife and a goblet.
(c) Grendel's mother's head and her sword.
(d) Jewels and gold.

2. What is Hrunting?
(a) Beowulf's sword.
(b) Grendel's mother's hall.
(c) A shield.
(d) Hrothgar's hall.

3. What does Beowulf do when he sees Grendel's body in the lair?
(a) Cuts off Grendel's head.
(b) Weeps.
(c) Leaves the body untouched.
(d) Burns the body.

4. How does Hrothgar describe the Grendel lake?
(a) Chilling.
(b) Weird and evil.
(c) Falsely beautiful.
(d) Ominous and dark.

5. What is the Grendel lake lined with?
(a) Fierce dragons.
(b) Mountains.
(c) Trees.
(d) Tall grasses.

6. How many men does it take to carry Grendel's head?
(a) 8.
(b) 4.
(c) 2.
(d) 6.

7. What does Grendel's mother use to try to kill Beowulf?
(a) A knife.
(b) Her hands.
(c) An axe.
(d) Beowulf's sword.

8. At the beginning of Chapter 2, who is brooding with grief and greedy for revenge?
(a) Hrothgar.
(b) Grendel's mother.
(c) Unferth.
(d) Beowulf.

9. Who does Grendel's mother kill during the night?
(a) The Queen.
(b) Grendel.
(c) Aeschere.
(d) Unferth.

10. Who promises to come with "a thousand spears and a thousand shields" if the other should be attacked?
(a) Hrothgar makes this promise to Beowulf.
(b) Wiglaf makes this promise to Beowulf.
(c) Beowulf makes this promise to Wiglaf.
(d) Beowulf makes this promise to Hrothgar.

11. Before battling Grendel's mother, what does Beowulf ask the King to do if he should die?
(a) Send his men back to their homeland.
(b) Look after his men.
(c) Promise to tell stories of his heroism.
(d) Build him a monument.

12. What promise does Hrothgar make to Beowulf after Grendel's mother is defeated?
(a) He promises to leave the throne to Beowulf.
(b) He promises him a great treasure.
(c) He promises friendship and trade with Beowulf's people.
(d) He promises his daughter to Beowulf as his wife.

13. After Beowulf's sword fails to kill Grendel's mother, what does he use to try to fight her?
(a) An axe.
(b) His bare hands.
(c) A rope.
(d) Rocks.

14. What does Grendel's mother take off the wall in the hall?
(a) Grendel's arm.
(b) An axe.
(c) A sword.
(d) Tapestries.

15. What happens to the blade of the tremendous sword found in the lair?
(a) It shatters.
(b) It cracks.
(c) Nothing.
(d) It melts.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who stays at the lake after the Danes leave?

2. When Beowulf reaches the bank of the lake, what does he do?

3. Where is Beowulf when Grendel's mother arrives at Heorot?

4. When Beowulf blows his horn, what rises up out of the Grendel lake?

5. What kind of boat to Beowulf and his men sail away from Denmark in?

(see the answer keys)

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