MEDIEVAL LITERATURE WEEK 12 ASSIGNMENTS

Beowulf

 

Read Beowulf line 1471-the end (in the Heaney version) or Chapter 22 the end in the Project Gutenberg version

Here is the link to the map of Beowulf’s story

As you read Beowulf, answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss each of these questions in class. 

  1. Why does Grendel’s mother appear?
  2. Describe the mother’s attack on Herot Hall. What does she take with her?
  3. Where is Beowulf during the attack?
  4. Describe the sight of the lake. Use details.
  5. What preparations does Beowulf make for the battle? Why are these unusual?
  6. What is Hrunting? Where did Beowulf get it?How long does it take Beowulf to reach the bottom of the lake?
  7. Where are Grendel and his mother found?
  8. Describe the fight and the use of weapons between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother.
  9. Who saves Beowulf? How is Grendel’s mother killed? What happens to Grendel
  10. What does the light described in lines 1570-1572 suggest about Beowulf’s victory?
  11. In Beowulf’s absence, what attitude has come over the Danes and the Geats?
  12. What is brought back to Herot?
  13. Why do you think the Geats want the Danes to see Grendel’s skull?
  14. Compare and contrast the behavior and actions of the two monsters, Grendel and his mother. 
  15. What events have angered the dragon and what are his actions against Beowulf’s people? 
  16. What weapons does Beowulf plan to use against the dragon? Why? How is this different from previous battles?
  17. Describe the dragon’s reaction to Beowulf’s approach. How does he behave?
  18. Describe the actual battle? How successful is Beowulf in the battle?
  19. Why do Beowulf’s warriors desert him now?
  20. In Wiglaf’s angry speech to the Geat warriors at the end of the section, what are the main points of his argument?
  21. Who kills the dragon?
  22. In Beowulf’s closing speech, lines 2425-2537, what ideals does he reflect on?
  23. What does Wiglaf find when he enters the dragon’s cave?-­‐ describe fully.
  24. How does Wiglaf tend to Beowulf as he dies? How does Beowulf reward Wiglaf?
  25. What does Wiglaf’s speech in lines 2631-2668 tell us about the importance of honor and the consequences of dishonorable behavior in Beowulf’s time?
  26. What kind of memorial does Beowulf request as he dies? Why is it important that he leave a legacy behind?
  27. How do the Geats characterize Beowulf as the poem closes?