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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. How many shillings will it cost someone if they were to "breach the Church's protection"?

2. Who is Grendel a descendant of?

3. What is the name of Hrothgar's queen?

4. According to the introduction to the Heroic Poems section, what do heroic poems link our Anglo-Saxon ancestors to?

5. What is Grendel unable to approach in Heorot?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened on Christmas day in 597 in Anglo-Saxon history?

2. Why did Caedmon state that he left the feast and went to the stables?

3. What was the order that needed to be followed to exact punishments and define laws during the Anglo-Saxon period?

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

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

6. Why was Hrothgar forced to close Heorot?

7. Why does Unferth challenge Beowulf's fame?

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

9. What does Beowulf say about his upcoming battle with Grendel?

10. What is the Germanic Code?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Kennings and alliteration were used throughout Beowulf and the Elegies. Why was the use of both poetic devices important to the oral tradition of Anglo-Saxon literature? In what ways did the use of kennings and alliteration help to insure the passage of the tales throughout time?

Essay Topic 3

What are the qualities of an epic? In what ways does "Beowulf" exemplify the characteristics of an epic? Be sure to give specific textual examples to support your claim.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 834 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample