Beowulf Study Guide RAWLINSON 12 1 Hrothgar is

Beowulf Study Guide RAWLINSON 12

1. Hrothgar is the King of Danes.

2. Grendel hates the sound of men’s voices singing.

3. One of the reasons the Danes have such a hard time fighting Grendel is because Grendel does not fight according to men’s rules.

4. The swords of Beowulf’s men fail to harm Grendel because Grendel has put a spell on their weapons.

5. Grendel finally shows fear when he is held fast in Beowulf’s grip.

6. Grendel wants to flee to his lair when he is first confronted by Beowulf.

7. Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off.

8. After the fight with Grendel, Grendel’s mother is brooding with grief and greedy for revenge.

9. Grendel’s mother takes Grendel’s arm off the wall in the mead-hall.

10. When Grendel’s mother arrives at Herot, Beowulf is sleeping in his room.

11. Grendel’s mother kills the king’s best man and friend because she wanted revenge.

12. Hrothgar describes the lake as dark and hell-like.

13. The author’s description of the lake creates an ominous mood.

14. The fight in the lake differs from the fight with Grendel in that Beowulf uses weapons in the lake and the opponent doesn’t show fear.

15. Hrunting is the name of Beowulf’s sword.

16. Grendel’s mother tries to use a dagger to kill Beowulf.

17. Beowulf’s mailcoat saves him from Grendel’s near-fatal attack.

18. Beowulf found a “tremendous sword” on the wall in the lair of Grendel’s mother.

19. Giants of olden time forged the tremendous sword that is in Grendel’s mother’s lair.

20. Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother by cutting off her head.

21. When Beowulf sees Grendel’s body in the lair, he cuts Grendel’s head off.

22. As the last section of the epic poem begins, Beowulf as reigned as king for 50 years.

23. The dragon hoards gold and treasures…. symbolism of greed.

24. When the dragon wakes, a golden goblet is missing from his treasure.

25. Beowulf wishes he could fight the dragon with his bare hands.

26. Even kings must bow to fate.

27. Most of Beowulf warriors run away when they see he is losing the battle with the dragon.

28. Wiglaf was a close kinsman of Beowulf.

29. Wiglaf rushes to Beowulf’s aid when he sees Beowulf faltering in his fight with the dragon.

30. Wiglaf represents the value of kinship.

31. Beowulf’s flaw is greed for fame.

32. Beowulf receives a fatal wound from the dragon.

33. The dragon kills Beowulf.

34. Before he dies, Beowulf asks Wiglaf to bring him the dragon’s treasure.

35. When Beowulf describes how he wants to be remembered, this shows selfimportance.

36. Before he dies, Beowulf gives Wiglaf his gold chain and new title.

37. Wiglaf banishes the warriors who ran away after Beowulf’s death.

38. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to be the next leader because Wiglaf stood with Beowulf and fought the dragon.

39. A warrior protects his king even at the risk of his own life.

40. A lair is a wild animal’s den.

41. Infamous means having a bad reputation.

42. Purge means to get rid of something undesirable.

43. The existence of evil and good occur simultaneously.

44. A good leader is brave and fearless.

45. Evil is represented as something trying to destroy what the people of the time value.