Beowulf Reading Questions 1
“Prologue: The Rise of the Danish Nation”
1. Describe Shield Shiefson. What is his backstory? (lines 1-11)
2. Who is Shield Shiefson’s son? How is he described? (lines 12-25)
3. How is Shield Sheafson’s death described? What was his funeral like? (lines 26-49)
4. Who takes over after Shield’s death? (line 53)
5. Who takes over after Beow’s death? How did this man most likely earn his name? (lines 56-58)
6. How many children does Halfdane have? What are their names? (lines 59-63)
7. How is Halfdane’s daughter described? (lines 62-62)
9. What does Hrthogar build and how is it described? What is the significance of his name?(lines 67-79)
10. What tone is established in the last few lines of this section?
“Heorot is Attacked”
1. What is lurking in the shadows? (line 86)
2. What is the “hard grievance” that this monster is nursing? (lines 86-98)
3. What is the name of this creature? (line 102)
4.Where does Grendel live? What is Grendel’s backstory? (line 104-114)
5. When does Grendel strike? Why? (line 115-117)
6. What happens during the attack? (lines 120-125)
7. When does Grendel strike again? (lines 134-136)
8. How is Grendel’s war described? ( lines 164-166)
“The Hero Comes to Heorot”
1. What kenning is used to describe Beowulf? (line 194)
2. How is Beowulf described? (Line 196-198)
3. How does Hrothgar’s watchman respond to the visitors on the coast? (lines 229-236)
4. How are the visitors dressed? (lines 237-240)
5. Who is Beowulf’s father? How is he described? (lines 262-266)
6. Why have Beowulf and his men arrived? (lines 273-278)
7. How does the watchman respond to Beowulf’s request to talk to Hrothgar? (lines287-292)
8. Who is the leader of Hygelac’s band? (lines 342-343)
9. How does Hrothgar know Beowulf? (lines 372-376)
10. What is the relationship between Beowulf and Hygelac? (line 374)
11. How does Beowulf plan to fight Grendel? (lines 433-440)
Beowulf Reading Questions 2:
The Feast at Heorot
1. What is happening at the start of this section of the poem? (lines 491-494)
2. What was the attendant doing? The minstrel? (lines 494-498)
3. Who is Unferth? What did he say? How does he feel about Beowulf? (lines 500-505)
4. What does Unferth ask Beowulf? What is the story with Beowulf and Brecca? (lines 506-528)
5. Who is Beowulf’s father? (line 529)
6. How does Beowulf explain his loss to Brecca? (lines 530-581)
7. What does Beowulf say about Unferth? (lines 582-606)
8. Who is Wealtheow? How is she described? What does she pass around?( Lines 612-624)
The Fight with Grendel
1. What does Beowulf consider a weakness of Grendel? A strength? (lines 681-687)
2. How does Grendel enter the mead hall? (lines 723-727)
3. What does Grendel do after he enters the mead hall? (lines 740-743)
4. What happens when Grendel goes to attack Beowulf? How does Grendel feel about this encounter? (lines 744-756)
5. What did the warriors not know about Grendel? (lines 799-804)
6. How does Grendel feel after the fight? How serious is his injury? Who won the fight? (lines 814-823)
Beowulf Reading Questions 3:
Celebration at Heorot (skipped)
Another Attack:
1. Who skill lurks in the night? What is the name of this individual? (lines 1255-1259)
2. Where does this monster live? (line 1260-1261)
3. Why has Grendel’s mom arrived at Heorot? (lines 1276-1278)
4. What does Grendel’s mom do to one of the soldiers? What is the significance of this man? (lines 1294-1298)
5. Where is Beowulf during this attack? Why? (lines 1299-1301)
6. What does Grendel’s mom steal? (lines1302-1306)
7. What is the name of the man that Grendel’s mom killed? (line 1323-1329)
8. How are Grendel and his mother described? (lines 1345-1361)
Beowulf Fights Grendel’s Mother
1. What does Beowulf find at the edge of the cliff? (line 1421)
2. What did Unferth give to Beowulf? What was the name of this device? (lines 1455-1458)
3. Why did Unferth give this device to Beowulf? How will Beowulf fight Grendel’s mom? (lines 1465-1472)
4. What problem does Beowulf have with his sword? (lines 1518-1528)
5. How does Beowulf resolve his sword problem? What does he do to kill Grendel’s mom? (lines 1556-1569)
6. What does Beowulf do to Grendel’s corpse? (lines 1584-1590)
7. How long had Beowulf been fighting? (line 1600)
Beowulf Reading Questions 4
Another Celebration at Heorot (skipped)
Beowulf Returns Home
1. What does Beowulf have returned to Unferth? How has Beowulf reaction to Unferth changed? (lines 1807-1809)
2. Where are Beowulf and is men going? Why? (lines 1818-1820)
3. What does Beowulf say about Hygelac? What does Beowulf tell Hrothgar that he(Beowulf) will do if necessary? (lines 1825-1835)
4. How does Hrothgar feel about Beowulf? What does he say about Beowulf and becoming king?(lines 1840-1865)
5. What does Hrothgar give to Beowulf? What does he do to Beowulf? What does Hrothgar know about his encounter with Beowulf? (lines 1866-1880)
7. The writer tells a story of a Queen rather abruptly. What is the story ? (lines 1932-1962)
8. With whom does Beowulf have a conversation? What does he tell this person? (lines 1977-2008)
9. What do we learn about Freawaru? Who is she? (lines 2020-2028)
10. What does Beowulf give to his king? What does the king give to Beowulf? (lines 2145-2199)
The Dragon Wakes:
1. How does Beowulf become king? How long did Beowulf rule? (lines 2204-2210)
2. Where is the dragon located? What wakes the dragon? What does the man take? What do we learn about the man’s genealogy? (lines 2212-2241)
3. How long had the dragon been hiding? (line2278-2285)
4. What is the kenning in line 2293?
6. What do we learn about Beowulf’s childhood? (lines 2425-2471)
7. What happened after the death of Beowulf’s grandfather? (lines 2472-2489)
Beowulf Attacks the Dragon:
1. How is Beowulf planning to fight the dragon? What do we learn about the dragon’s defense? (lines 2516-2528)
2. How does the fight with the dragon go for Beowulf at first? (lines 2569-2595)
3. Who comes in to save Beowulf? What does this man do? Why? (lines 2599-2613)
4. What does the dragon do to Beowulf? (lines 2690-2693)
5. What injury does Wiglaf sustain while fighting the dragon? What does Wiglaf do to the dragon? (lines 2694-2701)
6. Who ultimately kills the dragon? (lines 2702-2711)
8. What does Beowulf want Wiglaf to show him? (lines 2743-2777)
9. What happens to Beowulf? (lines 2809-2820)
Beowulf’s Funeral:
1. What does Wiglaf try to do with Beowulf? (lines 2852-2859)
2. What does Wiglaf say about warriors? (lines 2890-2891)
3. How does Wiglaf feel that people will respond once Beowulf’s death is known? (lines 2911-2945; 2999-3007)
4. What are they making for Beowulf? What will they do to this thing?(lines 3105-3125)
5. What do they do with the body of the dragon? (lines 3131-3133)
6. What do they put on the pyre? (lines 3137-3148)
7. Who cries by Beowulf’s side? What might this allude to? (lines 3150-3155)
