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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 does Beowulf tear off of Grendel?

2. Who is the first century Roman historian that the author claims is the best source for "information about Germanic tribes"?

3. Why, according to Wihtred's law number 4, will foreigners be forced to "depart from the land with their goods and their sins"?

4. Who does Hrothgar know from Beowulf's family?

5. What is the date of Bede's death?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the purpose of the "Easter Tables"?

2. What were some of the common problems that lawmakers had to address during the Anglo-Saxon period?

3. Why was Hrothgar forced to close Heorot?

4. What is the Germanic Code?

5. What purpose did the scop have in Anglo-Saxon history?

6. To whom is Grendel related and why is this important?

7. What must Beowulf do to kill Grendel's mother?

8. What did one of King Edwin's men state were the differences between their time and the time of "which we have no knowledge"?

9. What were the many reasons that Bede was renowned?

10. What does Beowulf do right after killing Grendel's mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you believe to be the most important section of the book? Why? What does its inclusion add to the text? What would its exclusion mean to the history of Anglo-Saxon literature?

Essay Topic 2

What are three qualities of an elegy? Name the quality, give a textual example, and explain your choice. Why/how does the poem show the specific characteristics of an elegy?

Essay Topic 3

What are some of the formal elements included in Anglo-Saxon writing? State at least three of the formal elements, name an example from the text, and explain why the example exemplifies the element detailed.

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