Epic: from Beowulf, Part II

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 treasure in Grendel's lair

a

From which fact can the reader infer that Beowulf from Beowulf is honorable? a. Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none. b. Higlac is Beowulf's cousin. c. Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats. d. Beowulf vows to ambush Grendel and destroy the monster.

a

In Beowulf's fight to the death with Grendel's mother, the piece of his own equipment that saves his life is his — a. woven mail shirt c. sword, Hrunting b. helmet d. shield

a

What does the alliteration in the following lines help most to emphasize? "But Higlac's follower . . ./fastened those claws/In his fists till they cracked, clutched Grendel/Closer." a. Beowulf's family background c. the courage of Beowulf b. the sounds of the battle d. Grendel's fear

b

At the end of the battle in Beowulf, the poet attributes Grendel's defeat to a. Beowulf's strength. c. God's power. b. Grendel's evil. d. Hrothgar's luck.

c

How does Grendel respond to the realization that Beowulf will challenge his fighting skills? a. joyously c. fearfully b. excitedly d. indifferently

c

Beowulf's deeds require tremendous a. trust. c. wisdom. b. humility. d. courage.

d

What was unusual about the way Beowulf fought Grendel? a. He went to fight alone with no men to back him up. b. Beowulf used magic against the monster and won. c. Beowulf wishes to prove the superiority of the Geats over the Danes d. He fought with only his bare hands and no other weapons.

d

Which is the best paraphrase for this passage from Beowulf ? —Then the sword / Melted, blood-soaked, dripping down / Like water, disappearing like ice when the world's / Eternal Lord loosens invisible / Fetters and unwinds icicles and frost . . . a. God made the bloody sword turn to dripping icicles and frost. b. Beowulf loosened his grip on the bloody sword and it disappeared into the water. c. Beowulf's bloody sword became liquid the way ice and frost do when God warms and melts them. d. God made the sword melt and freed Beowulf from the magic fetters that bound him.

not b