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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. In "The Finnesburh Fragment," what does the first line say is "not burning"?

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

3. What does Beowulf tear off of Grendel?

4. According to number 19, in "Letter to the People of England," how many men are to go to church and "make supplication"?

5. Where is Beowulf from?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Explain the procedure of lawsuits for Anglo-Saxons.

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

5. What did King Edwin say must be done before he would accept the Christian faith?

6. According to the author of the introduction to "Heroic Poems," what purpose do/did the heroic poems serve historically?

7. Who was defined as the "most unfortunate man" in Anglo-Saxon society?

8. Why was Hrothgar forced to close Heorot?

9. Why were some laws of the Anglo-Saxon period never put into writing?

10. What were the two key relationships at the heart of Anglo-Saxon society?

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 were the characteristics of typical Anglo-Saxon literature? What did the Anglos look for in their heroes? What did Anglos parts of a man's character were praised by the Anglo-Saxons?

Essay Topic 3

What seems to be an embedded theme throughout all of Anglo-Saxon texts? What theme is addressed in all of the examples provided in "The Anglo-Saxon World"? Support your answer drawing from at least one text from each of the sections.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 920 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample