Beowulf
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Comprehension
The questions below refer to the selections “from Beowulf, Part One,” “from Grendel,” “Life in 999: A Grim Struggle,” and “from Beowulf, Part Two.”
____ 1. Beowulf slays Grendel in order to —
|a. |save Hrothgar and the Danes from the monster |
|b. |prevent Grendel from invading the land of the Geats |
|c. |keep Herot from being destroyed |
|d. |carry off the
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Beowulf tells Wiglaf that he wants his burned-out funeral pyre to be a —
|a. |reminder to his people of his greatness |c. |reminder to Wiglaf of his duties |
|b. |monument to King Hrothgar |d. |sign of the new Christian faith |
____ 9. How is the raid on Hrothgar’s hall shown differently in John Gardner’s Grendel than in Beowulf?
|a. |In Grendel the monster is not a man-eater. |
|b. |The novel Grendel shows the action from the monster’s point of view. |
|c. |In Beowulf each victim is individually described. |
|d. |Beowulf shows the action from Beowulf’s point of view. |
____ 10. What aspect of Anglo-Saxon life discussed in “Life in 999: A Grim Struggle” is also in full view in Beowulf?
|a. |There was no sugar and few spices. |
|b. |Vitamin deficiencies and diseases were rampant. |
|c. |The population was growing, but farm labor was
Beowulf holds a key to understanding how the author can invoke a response from the reader through different narrative forms and the heroic/non heroic trope. The form of the epic poem is used to present the themes of power, war death and life itself in an enhanced way that allows the writer to arouse a particular response from the
Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
The story of Beowulf is an ancient one, and one that has been passed down for generations. The ideals and themes are traditional and its message is clear throughout the entirety of the epic poem. Beowulf is told from the third person omniscient point of view, his conflict was always what one would call “the bad guy” or “the villain,” and though he died in the end, he won gold and victory for his kingdom; all bad guys defeated. John Gardner, author of Grendel, decided to take the classical story of good and evil, and tell a new story from the villain’s perspective. Grendel explores varying literary elements which exposes the character of Grendel to readers along with various themes represented throughout each page.
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
There is considerable debate as to whether the poem Beowulf is an epic narrative poem or an heroic elegy. Which is it. This essay intends to present both sides of the story.
Beowulf is a very lengthy, yet appalling, epic that has peaked the interest of many literature fanatics and analytical critics of the world. They have many praises and critiques proclaimed for the protracted poem, expanding upon its timeless elements and unique, brilliant kennings. Not only does this breathtaking piece of Anglo-Saxon literature display concise and creative metaphors in a simplistic yet baffling plot, it also discreetly gives away desirable qualities in kingship; even a critic pointed this out, picking apart different qualities that were brought up, such as struggles he may face during his reign. I definitely agree with most of their claims, except I see some of them displayed in different manners.
Every culture has its own set of values, beliefs, and customs. These values, beliefs and customs create each unique culture, and these cultural constructions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout the lifetime of the culture. A major part of culture is literature; the literature of the time reflects upon daily life and society during the time that the story was composed. Beowulf, an epic poem, is one of the most important and only works of Anglo-Saxon literature. Much like a fable, the epic poem of Beowulf had lessons that taught the people within this society how to behave. This essay will outline how the importance of Christianity and the Germanic Heroic Code in Beowulf are revealed throughout the epic poem as important aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture as a whole.
The epic tale of Beowulf was written sometime after his death. In other words, a long time ago during the Anglo-Saxon period. Today, directors in Hollywood did not keep from creating their own rendition of this epic poem As a result, plenty of modern interpretations of Beowulf, such as Sturla Gunnarsson’s Beowulf and Grendel, have been released. Naturally, the cultural values that might be reflected in modern Beowulf renditions will demonstrate a clash with those of the original fifth century Beowulf literature. One reason for this is that in the modern age we value characters with profound characteristics, characters that change due to the challenges they experience; characters that we as the audience can attach to. Flat characters like those of the original Beowulf text are difficult to empathize with since they are not realistic enough for our standards. Due to these differences in culture and values, the Beowulf and Grendel from the original Beowulf text possess definite contrasts when compared with their Beowulf and Grendel counterparts.
While these messages would have been plain to the Anglo-Saxon reader, our culture has changed to the extent that only a very careful reader will glean the full meaning of the text. This gives adaptors of Beowulf several options. They have the opportunity to either try to relay the information in a way the readers will understand or to make these Scandinavian heroes behave in a way more consistent with their own society. Adaptations of Beowulf are powerful because they not only illustrate how their authors conceive of the Anglo-Saxons, but also reveal what they imagine their own culture to be. The themes which the author emphasizes in retellings of the tale communicate to us how they read the story, what messages captured their attention, and especially what they themselves value.
Beowulf is one of the greatest epics from early British literature history we have managed to salvage, and amidst the tales of brave heroes and mighty battles, there lies an interwoven theme of isolation and death. These two plagues to the human mind and body walk together in a correlated marriage within Beowulf’s many episodes. Death is an obvious theme; the alpha and omega of the poem are grandeur funerals (Beowulf, l. 26-52, 3114-3155) and loss is littered throughout Beowulf’s journey. Isolation, however, is a theme that is directly related to the death inside of Beowulf’s world, and needs further examination as to how and why. It seems that the evil creatures that fall to the hands of our mighty hero indulge this theory, but this thematic duo take more than just the lives of the monsters. Isolation followed by death sweeps up innocent characters as well, including Beowulf himself.
b. “It is only through embracing life in its totality, that we can uplift humanity and improve the human condition” p. 384
The poem Beowulf presents the transformation of Beowulf from a brave warrior to an honorable King. The evolution of Beowulf shows how he fulfills his obligations to the warrior’s heroic code and then transcends into a King who loyally protects his Kingdom. Beowulf’s transformation is shown through a progression of three increasingly more difficult conflicts he must overcome- first with Grendel, then Grendel’s mother and finally against the mighty dragon. These three events are seen "as the three agons in the hero 's life"(Chickering 64). Through these adverse events Beowulf will change from brave young warrior to noble King. This paper will examine the manifestation of heroism in the poem
“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.
Beowulf and Grendel are two different stories, and characters, who look at the same situation in polarized ways. Each character has their own story that is written from different time periods: the Anglo-Saxon time period and America in the 1970’s. Both of these time periods have different attributes that make them special; the Anglo-Saxon time period consists of the literary movement of the epic poem and America in the 1970’s consists of the literary movement known as postmodernism. Beowulf is shaped by the Anglo-Saxon time period through its use of the heroic code and religious influences and Grendel is shaped by the American 1970’s time period through its use of metafiction and an unreliable narrator.