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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. Who is Unferth's father?

2. What three things does the dragon know?

3. Grendel claims he is the disfigured son of what in Chapter 1?

4. What advice does the dragon give Grendel?

5. Who does Grendel say explains things to him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the firesnakes guard the sunken door?

2. What does Grendel do when Unferth falls asleep in his cave in Chapter 6?

3. How does Grendel's meeting with the dragon help him define his role in the world of men?

4. How does Grendel feel about the brainless ram?

5. Describe life around the village as Grendel observes it.

6. What is the significance of Hrothgar's name for his mead hall?

7. Describe the arrangement between Hrothgar and his closest neighbors.

8. Describe how the bull fights in Chapter 2.

9. Discuss the quote on page 7 where Grendel gives himself alternate names (shadow-shooter, earth-rim-roamer, walker of the world's weird wall). What does this signify?

10. Does Grendel have delusions about his own intelligence?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of the dragon. Why did the author use this particular creature to teach Grendel? Do you find the scenes with the dragon necessary? Does the dragon's intelligence reduce Grendel to the level of the bull he mocked earlier?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Grendel’s observation that animals see life without observing it. According to Grendel, animals make no distinctions in their lives. What implications does this hold for men? For Grendel himself?

Essay Topic 3

Use what you know of Grendel's mother and her relationship to her son to speculate about what she will do when she discovers the harm done to her son. Do you think she would be upset? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,085 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample