Beowulf’s only real failing is:

That he dies childless, not protecting a future he’d spent a life building

Why won’t we ever know what Beowulf (the poem) was “really” like? (Two correct answers)

The only manuscript was damaged by fire, Its language is contested; terms can be translated in multiple ways

Which ceremonial treatment did the Danes perform for Shield Sheafson after his death?

They set him in aboat filled with treasure and sent him out to sea

Why does Beowulf keep boasting?

It’s how one establishes his identity and constructs his reputation

Why does Grendel attack Heorot Hall?

He can’t stand to hear music that glorifies God/sounds of revelry anymore

What's a "kenning" in poetry, particularly as it's used in Beowulf?

A combination of words that can replace an original term

Why can't Grendel kill Hrothgar?

He can’t approach the throne – it’s divinely protected, and he’s God-cursed

Why are the “side stories” important to the poem as a whole?

They foreshadow events, add meaning to the present, & enrich understanding

Why is Beowulf’s internal chronology scrambled? What’s the point of jumbling the timeline?

It makes past events seem as relevant as present ones (why wars keep going)

Why does Grendel live the way he does (essentially alone, in a swamp, etc.)?

He’s being punished for his ancestors’ sins; HE hasn't done anything

Why were lineage and heritage important? (Two correct answers)

Nations relied on lineage - the line of succession - to choose kings, One's family's past helps determine the respect one earns in the present

Which of the following provides the best example of the poem’s focus on vulnerability?

The tendency for rival nations to attack young kings upon taking the throne

Why is the scop angered by Heorot residents making pagan sacrifices after Grendel's attacks?

B/C fear makes people irrational, & bad short-term bets do long-term damage

Why do Heaney and Headley take great pains to use alliterative/assonant/consonant language while translating Beowulf?

They're preserving the way the poem would have sounded during a performance

The image from the poem that most effectively reflects the work's exploration of “grief” is:

The Geat womanwailing up to the sky in the wake of Beowulf death

What was one of the duties of a “good king”? (Two possible correct answers)

To give treasure, gifts, and honors freely to his subjects and warriors, To have children in order to keep the ruling family from dying out

What do Hrunting and Naegling come to symbolize?

They fail Beowulf, highlighting the death of the heroic age

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Beowulf: Mega-Review, Part Two

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Questions 20

Answers

1
Beowulf’s only real failing is:
That he's constantly afraid of doing the wrong thing
That he forgives the Swedes for killing Heardred, showing Geatland is weak
That he falls in love with Grendel's mother and has a child with her
That he dies childless, not protecting a future he’d spent a life building
2
Why won’t we ever know what Beowulf (the poem) was “really” like? (Two correct answers)
The only manuscript was damaged by fire
Church authorities repeatedly censored it over the years, leaving it hollow
Its language is contested; terms can be translated in multiple ways
It was originally sung by the Danes, but written down by enemy Swedes
3
What does marriage symbolize in the poem?
Peace
Defeat
Choice
Danger
4
Which ceremonial treatment did the Danes perform for Shield Sheafson after his death?
They gave him to Grendel's mother, so that her child might eat him
They buried him by their borders so that the dead king can “protect” them
They gave his body to the raiders who'd killed him in battle
They set him in aboat filled with treasure and sent him out to sea
5
Why does Beowulf keep boasting?
It’s a means of intimidating his numerous enemies - nobody likes him
Hecan’t really help it – arrogance is his greatest flaw
It’s how one establishes his identity and constructs his reputation
He needs to do it in order to keep Hrothgar from killing his men
6
Why does Grendel attack Heorot Hall?
He wants revenge on Hrothgar, his real father, for banishing him
He’s looking for food; nothing grows in his mere because it’s cursed
He can’t stand to hear music that glorifies God/sounds of revelry anymore
He does so at his mother’s request
7
What's a "kenning" in poetry, particularly as it's used in Beowulf?
A type of sentence that ignores common punctuation rules
The verbal aspects of Old English Poetry
A combination of words that can replace an original term
A short form of poetry that is rarely used today
8
Why can't Grendel kill Hrothgar?
He can’t approach the throne – it’s divinely protected, and he’s God-cursed
He COULD kill Hrothgar, but he’s waiting for a real challenger to arrive
His mother orders him not to; she just wants him to attack Heorot/people
The combined forces of Hrothgar’s warriors are too strong for him to defeat
9
Why are the “side stories” important to the poem as a whole?
They foreshadow events, add meaning to the present, & enrich understanding
They show how easily history can be lost; with better editing, they're gone
They show how dramatically storytelling methods have improved over time
They're how the poet got people to "Like and Subscribe" in olden times
10
Why is Beowulf’s internal chronology scrambled? What’s the point of jumbling the timeline?
The original stone tablets were cracked during transport and poorly rebuilt
It makes past events seem as relevant as present ones (why wars keep going)
Because it made audiences pay attention at a time when one couldn't rewind
Because it's just the collected stories of the tribes the Geats conquered
11
Which theme is highlighted by Wiglaf’s actions near the poem’s end?
Evil
Courage
Divine Will
Greed
12
Why does Grendel live the way he does (essentially alone, in a swamp, etc.)?
He’sbeing punished for his crimes against humanity
He’s being punished for his ancestors’ sins; HE hasn't done anything
He’s being punished for his external appearance, which isn’t quite human
He’s being punished for siding against the Danes in an old war
13
Why were lineage and heritage important? (Two correct answers)
Nations relied on lineage - the line of succession - to choose kings
Because all people LOVE killing, and heritage gives them an excuse to kill
One's family's past helps determine the respect one earns in the present
In Beowulf’s time, one could only marry someone from a same-status family
14
Which of the following provides the best example of the poem’s focus on vulnerability?
The way that Beowulf's God ignores him, always leaving him to succeed alone
The fear Beowulf experiences while fighting Grendel
The tendency for rival nations to attack young kings upon taking the throne
The Geat warriors' willingness to die for their king at poem’s end
15
Why is the scop angered by Heorot residents making pagan sacrifices after Grendel's attacks?
The sacrifices to the Dark Lord only serve to boost Grendel's power levels
B/C fear makes people irrational, & bad short-term bets do long-term damage
Their behavior reveals a lack of faith in Hrothgar, whom the poet respects
Heorot Hall can’t afford to be ideologically divided in a time of war
16
Why do Heaney and Headley take great pains to use alliterative/assonant/consonant language while translating Beowulf?
They wanted to repudiate past translation efforts as shallow and inferior
They're preserving the way the poem would have sounded during a performance
Translating the poem directly and exactly yielded alliterative sentences
They're poets; it’s basically second nature for them to write that way
17
Which character does not relate to the poem’s fleeing/exile theme?
Grendel
Heremod
Ecgtheow
Ingeld
18
The image from the poem that most effectively reflects the work's exploration of “grief” is:
Wiglaf’s realization that he’s truly the last of his kind
Beowulf looking sadly at the empty Geat throne before taking it for himself
The Geat womanwailing up to the sky in the wake of Beowulf death
Grendel’s wounded retreat to the mere, where he dies in his mother’s arms
19
What was one of the duties of a “good king”? (Two possible correct answers)
To give treasure, gifts, and honors freely to his subjects and warriors
To have children in order to keep the ruling family from dying out
To obtain as much personal wealth as possible
To continue stirring up old grudges in order to keep his forces alert
20
What do Hrunting and Naegling come to symbolize?
Their kidnapping at the hands of the Heathobards starts another war
They fail Beowulf, highlighting the death of the heroic age
Their discovery in the dragon’s hoard unites the Geats after Beowulf dies
They represent the way ordinary people allow evil into their lives

Beowulf: Mega-Review, Part Two Flashcards | StudBud