BEOWULF STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. What is a kenning? Provide four examples from the text.
2. What is alliteration? Provide four examples from the text.
3. What is hyperbole? Provide four examples from the text.
4. Where is Beowulf from?
5. Who originally wrote Beowulf?
6. What does this say about the story itself?
7. What language was Beowulf originally written in? Compare this language to the common language you can read/write/speak today.
8. What is the main theme of Beowulf?
9. What is an epic poem?
10. What is an epic hero?
11. What does Beowulf take with him after defeating Grendel? After defeating Grendel’s mother? Why does he do this?
12. Who is Hrothgar? What is his relationship with Beowulf?
13. Grendel’s mother is a major figure, but nothing is known about Grendel’s father. In a
14. poem in which ancestry is important, what does Grendel’s ancestry suggest about his
15. character?
16. What does Beowulf’s speech just before fighting Grendel’s mother suggest about his relationship
17. to his men? To Higlac?
18. Briefly describe Grendel. What might Grendel symbolize?
19. Describe the demise of Beowulf. Is this odd seeing how he was portrayed throughout the story?
20. What happens to the treasure at the end of the story?
BEOWULF STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. What is a kenning? Provide four examples from the text.
2. What is alliteration? Provide four examples from the text.
3. What is hyperbole? Provide four examples from the text.
4. Where is Beowulf from?
5. Who originally wrote Beowulf?
6. What does this say about the story itself?
7. What language was Beowulf originally written in? Compare this language to the common language you can read/write/speak today.
8. What is the main theme of Beowulf?
9. What is an epic poem?
10. What is an epic hero?
11. What does Beowulf take with him after defeating Grendel? After defeating Grendel’s mother? Why does he do this?
12. Who is Hrothgar? What is his relationship with Beowulf?
13. Grendel’s mother is a major figure, but nothing is known about Grendel’s father. In a
14. poem in which ancestry is important, what does Grendel’s ancestry suggest about his
15. character?
16. What does Beowulf’s speech just before fighting Grendel’s mother suggest about his relationship
17. to his men? To Higlac?
18. Briefly describe Grendel. What might Grendel symbolize?
19. Describe the demise of Beowulf. Is this odd seeing how he was portrayed throughout the story?
20. What happens to the treasure at the end of the story?