Question 1

the epic

Accepted Answer

a long narrative poem, written in
an elevated style with a hero upon whose
shoulders rests the fate of a nation

Question 2

Beowulf

Accepted Answer

a Geat whose father was
helped by Hrothgar; he is the
epic hero who has superhuman
strength and is perfect.

Question 3

characteristics of the epic and epic hero

Accepted Answer

bravery; honor; loyalty; represents the
values of the society that he lives in;
ethical; goes on a quest; has superhuman
strength

Question 4

wergild

Accepted Answer

payment for a wrong that one
caused to another; a concept that was
meant to avoid blood feuds

Question 5

Hrothgar

Accepted Answer

old King of the Danes
who has helped Beowulf’s father;
his kingdom has been ravaged for
twelve years by the evil monster
Grendel; he allows the Geat
Beowulf to slay the monster as
repayment

Question 6

Unferth

Accepted Answer

Hrothgar’s man who
challenges Beowulf and has killed
his own kin. He envies Beowulf’s
reputation, fame, and courage; Unferth offers
his sword to Beowulf as a peace
offering and Beowulf reciprocates
by giving Unferth his own sword
in return.

Question 7

wyrd

Accepted Answer

fate (all roads lead to the grave)

Question 8

Wealhtheow

Accepted Answer

Hrothgar’s queen
who is trusted and protects the
wine; she serves the wine and
keeps it safe for everyone; she has
her own treasure to pass out to
Beowulf in thanks of his service
to the Danes; she also asks him
to look after her sons after
Hrothg

Question 9

comitatus

Accepted Answer

a system that was meant to
reward loyalty to a king; the kind would
reward loyalty with treasure; in return
the men would swear to defend the king
unto death and in the event of the king’s
murder to avenge his death

Question 10

Grendel

Accepted Answer

terrorized Hrothgars
mead hall Heorot for twelve
winters; Beowulf rips off his arm;
later his body is found by
Beowulf in Grendel’s mother’s
lair; Beowulf cuts his head off
with the sword forged by giants,
which melts afterward; envies the
kinship

Question 11

beliefs/values of a heroic society

Accepted Answer

society honor,
loyalty, bravery and brave deeds; kinship

Question 12

Grendel’s mother

Accepted Answer

mother personification
of evil in the epic; Beowulf fights
her in the underworld in her lair;
the sword Hrunting fails, by Beowulf finds a
sword forged by giants and kills
her and then cuts off the head of
Grendel to take back to the Danes

Question 13

kenning

Accepted Answer

a compound word group that is
used metaphorically; she-wolf (Grendel’s
mother),

Question 14

the dragon

Accepted Answer

an old Beowulf fights
with the dragon, while killing the
dragon, Beowulf loses his life

Question 15

caesura

Accepted Answer

a pause in a line of poety; for the
Anglo-Saxon scop it as meant to give the
audience time to digest what had
happened or what was said

Question 16

Wiglaf

Accepted Answer

last remaining Geat to
stand with an old Beowulf
against the dragon;he gives an
eloquent speech about bravery as
the others are fleeing; he helps
Beowulf slay the dragon; in
return Beowulf givens the
kingship of the Geats to him (the
golden collar

Question 17

imagery: darkness and light

Accepted Answer

dark
(absence of light hence evil) and light
(goodness)

Question 18

Brecca

Accepted Answer

childhood friend of
Beowulf with whom he entered a
swimming match

Question 19

Heorot

Accepted Answer

name meaning stag (male
deer) the symbol of kinship; the
name of Hrothgar’s mead hall
which is a part of the comitatus
relationship

Question 20

motif: voyages

Accepted Answer

voyages were for fame (voyage
of Beowulf to Hrogathar’s court,
Beowulf’s voyage to Grendel’s mother’s
lair; Beowulf’s voyage home);

Question 21

alliteration

Accepted Answer

repetition of consonant
sounds at the beginning of the words;
alliteration draws attention to an idea,
theme, or speech or other important idea

Question 22

Old English

Accepted Answer

Germanic

Question 23

motif:  feasts

Accepted Answer

feasts were
celebrations (Beowulf’s welcome and
night before ripping Grendel’s arm off,
the celebration when Beowulf brought
back Grendel’s head; the feast before
Beowulf departs for the land of the
Geats);

Question 24

motif: Exchange of courtesy

Accepted Answer

(Hrothgar’s
welcome of Beowulf, Beowulf’s asking to
ride the land of the Danes of Grendel,
Hrothgar’s thanks for Beowulf’s killing of
Grendel; Hrothgar’s asking Beowulf to
kill Grendel’s mother;

Beowulf exam

Eng. Exam Semester

Term	Definition
the epic	a long narrative poem, written in an elevated style with a hero upon whose shoulders rests the fate of a nation
Beowulf	a Geat whose father was helped by Hrothgar; he is the epic hero who has superhuman strength and is perfect.
characteristics of the epic and epic hero	bravery; honor; loyalty; represents the values of the society that he lives in; ethical; goes on a quest; has superhuman strength
wergild	payment for a wrong that one caused to another; a concept that was meant to avoid blood feuds
Hrothgar	old King of the Danes who has helped Beowulf’s father; his kingdom has been ravaged for twelve years by the evil monster Grendel; he allows the Geat Beowulf to slay the monster as repayment
Unferth	Hrothgar’s man who challenges Beowulf and has killed his own kin. He envies Beowulf’s reputation, fame, and courage; Unferth offers his sword to Beowulf as a peace offering and Beowulf reciprocates by giving Unferth his own sword in return.
wyrd	fate (all roads lead to the grave)
Wealhtheow	Hrothgar’s queen who is trusted and protects the wine; she serves the wine and keeps it safe for everyone; she has her own treasure to pass out to Beowulf in thanks of his service to the Danes; she also asks him to look after her sons after Hrothg
comitatus	a system that was meant to reward loyalty to a king; the kind would reward loyalty with treasure; in return the men would swear to defend the king unto death and in the event of the king’s murder to avenge his death
Grendel	terrorized Hrothgars mead hall Heorot for twelve winters; Beowulf rips off his arm; later his body is found by Beowulf in Grendel’s mother’s lair; Beowulf cuts his head off with the sword forged by giants, which melts afterward; envies the kinship
beliefs/values of a heroic society	society honor, loyalty, bravery and brave deeds; kinship
Grendel’s mother	mother personification of evil in the epic; Beowulf fights her in the underworld in her lair; the sword Hrunting fails, by Beowulf finds a sword forged by giants and kills her and then cuts off the head of Grendel to take back to the Danes
kenning	a compound word group that is used metaphorically; she-wolf (Grendel’s mother),
the dragon	an old Beowulf fights with the dragon, while killing the dragon, Beowulf loses his life
caesura	a pause in a line of poety; for the Anglo-Saxon scop it as meant to give the audience time to digest what had happened or what was said
Wiglaf	last remaining Geat to stand with an old Beowulf against the dragon;he gives an eloquent speech about bravery as the others are fleeing; he helps Beowulf slay the dragon; in return Beowulf givens the kingship of the Geats to him (the golden collar
imagery: darkness and light	dark (absence of light hence evil) and light (goodness)
Brecca	childhood friend of Beowulf with whom he entered a swimming match
Heorot	name meaning stag (male deer) the symbol of kinship; the name of Hrothgar’s mead hall which is a part of the comitatus relationship
motif: voyages	voyages were for fame (voyage of Beowulf to Hrogathar’s court, Beowulf’s voyage to Grendel’s mother’s lair; Beowulf’s voyage home);
alliteration	repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of the words; alliteration draws attention to an idea, theme, or speech or other important idea
Old English	Germanic
motif: feasts	feasts were celebrations (Beowulf’s welcome and night before ripping Grendel’s arm off, the celebration when Beowulf brought back Grendel’s head; the feast before Beowulf departs for the land of the Geats);
motif: Exchange of courtesy	(Hrothgar’s welcome of Beowulf, Beowulf’s asking to ride the land of the Danes of Grendel, Hrothgar’s thanks for Beowulf’s killing of Grendel; Hrothgar’s asking Beowulf to kill Grendel’s mother;

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