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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What instrument does the minstrel play while Beowulf and his men are in the hall?

2. What does Grendel hate the sound of?

3. What are Hrothgar and his warriors doing when Grendel first enters Heorot?

4. How many men did Beowulf bring with him to Denmark?

5. For how many years had Grendel plagued Hrothgar?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does the watchman see the "glint of death" in Beowulf's party?

2. What does Beowulf do while he's traveling to the dragon's den?

3. How does Unferth describe Beowulf when he tells the story of Beowulf's swimming race with Breca?

4. What does Beowulf command Wiglaf to do with the treasure?

5. What spoils does Grendel's mother take with her from Heorot?

6. In response to Unferth's tale, what does Beowulf say that he and Breca were really doing?

7. According to Hrothgar, what cannot harm Grendel?

8. What does the train on the Queen's dress look like?

9. What does the dragon do in seeking his revenge?

10. How does Beowulf feel about his dying to defeat the dragon and win the treasure for his people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is Grendel's mother's lair so much like Heorot? What is the significant difference between the two?

Essay Topic 2

The foes Beowulf faces represent three emotions that sometimes result in violence. What are those emotions? Which foe represents each of these emotions? How do they represent the emotion? What actions do they take and why?

Essay Topic 3

When Beowulf dies, he leaves no heir to reign in his place. Instead, he has only a kingsman to take the throne. What does the passing of the kingdom to its next ruler in this manner represent in terms of the changes taking place in the author's world?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 521 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample