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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 give to Wiglaf to signify Wiglaf's rise to king?

2. What causes Beowulf's death?

3. How many people witnessed the opening of Cuthbert's coffin at Durham Cathedral?

4. What was the name of the man who witnessed Bede's death?

5. According to the author in the introduction what (other than "Beowulf") is the best -known Anglo-Saxon poem?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why was Hrothgar forced to close Heorot?

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

4. Why does Unferth challenge Beowulf's fame?

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

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

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

8. In what way were the histories and legends passed down during the Anglo-Saxon period?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

"Beowulf" has distinct imagery associated with light and dark. Choose three light images in the text; define the image, and show the contrasting dark image. Please explain the images use in the text. What purpose do the images serve?

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.

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