Beowulf : Example Test Questions

This document contains example test questions for Beowulf. It does not mean that all of
these questions will be used in an exam or test, but this document is a good study guide.

1. Beowulf is:
A. an epic poem
B. a lyric poem
C. a narrative poem

2. Beowulf came from:

A. Sweden
B. Denmark
C. Norway
D. Finland

3. Beowulf and Grendel stand respectively for:

A. bravery and cowardice
B. saints and devils
C. good and evil
D. strengths and weaknesses

4. Grendel died as a result of :

A. sword wounds
B. loss of blood
C. drowning
D. strangulation

5. Beowulf’s first “blood soaked trophy” was Grendel’s:

A. head
B. hand
C. leg
D. arm

6. Grendel attacked Heorot for:

A. 1 year
B. 100 years
C. 12 years
D. 1,200 years

7. Hrothgar warned Beowulf that Grendel:

A. had the strength of twenty warriors.
B. Was almost twelve feet tall
C. Could not be killed by a weapon make by humans
D. Left his lair when the moon was brightest
8. To defeat Grendel, Beowulf used:
A. a magic sword
B. his bare hands
C. fire
D. poison

9. Unferth accused Beowulf of:

A. cowardice
B. lying
C. bragging
D. greed

10. For killing Grendel, Hrothgar gave Beowulf:

A. many precious gifts
B. eight horses
C. gold and silver
D. armor

11. Beowulf wills to Unferth and Hygelac his:

A. sword and treasure
B. armor and sword
C. sword and horses
D. treasure and horses

12. Beowulf cut off the head of the dead Grendel because:
A. the sight of the monster enraged him
B. he felt violent
C. he wanted a trophy

13. Grendel’s mother showed her grief for her dead son by:
A. wailing
B. bursting into fits of rage
C. attacking Heorot
D. isolating herself

14. Grendel’s mother hoped to kill Beowulf:

A. by crushing his body
B. with her talons
C. by dragging him into the flames
D. with her knife

15. Hrunting;
A. penetrated the she-monster’s bosom
B. cut off her arm
C. crumpled like a reed against the she-monster’s skull
D. melted in the fire
16. Beowulf killed the she-monster:
A. by choking her with a heavy rope
B. with a gigantic sword
C. with her own knife
D. by slamming the cave door on her

17. Grendel’s mother lived in a:

A. hut
B. den under a lake
C. castle
D. reef

18. Beowulf offered Hrothgar:

A. gold
B. Hrunting
C. The giant sword
D. Grendel’s head and the remains of the giant sword

19. Hrothgar and the men believed that Beowulf was dead when:
A. blood bubbled on the lake
B. his mailcoat was found
C. a dragon appeared
D. his horn ceased

20. After slaying Grendel’s mother, Beowulf:

A. threatened to take Heorot
B. demanded treasure chests
C. returned to his native land
D. hunted other monsters

21. According to the Beowulf saga, the bodies of dead kings were:
A. sealed in a crypt
B. burned on a funeral pyre
C. sent to sea
D. frozen

22. The fire dragon was mad because:

A. a drunken warrior had pounded it with rocks
B. a thief had stolen some treasure it guarded
C. Heardred had died

23. As Beowulf grew older, he hoped to die:

A. in battle
B. in his sleep
C. in peace
D. of old age
24. As Beowulf prepared to fight the dragon, he:
A. felt afraid for the first time
B. felt no lust for battle and seemed to sense doom
C. prayed
D. was depressed

25. Beowulf’s warriors forsook him when they saw:

A. him stumbling and choking
B. the dragon’s fire
C. the dragon pulling Wiglaf into the water
D. his shield melt

26. The dragon was killed by:

A. Wiglaf
B. Urethaean
C. Beowulf and Wiglaf

27. Wiglaf was a perfect example of a knight because he was:

A. handsome
B. powerful
C. fearless
D. loyal and courageous

28. Beowulf’s request that the Mound of Beowulf be built showed that he was:
A. arrogant and proud
B. generous and kind
C. dedicated

29. The treasure:

A. was distributed among the poor
B. was buried with Beowulf’s ashes remained in the fire
C. was divided evenly among Beowulf’s men

30. Where the treasure came from was revealed by:

A. Heardred
B. Wiglaf
C. No one
D. The fire dragon

True or False
31. Beowulf’s helmet protects him from Gendel’s mother.
32. A jeweled cup is stolen from the drago, which makes him angry.
33. The dragon’s treasure is given to the people at the end of the poem.
34. Grendel is said to have been “conceived by a pair of monders born of Adam.” 35.
35. Grendel is afraid to enter Herot.
36. After eating the first victim, Grendel tries to kill Beowulf.
37. Beowulf is king for 40 years before he fights the dragon.
38. A good king in Beowulf’s time gave general rewards and treasure to the warriors.
39. When Beowulf fights the dragon, his warriors loyally aid him.
40. Of Beowulf’s warriors, Wiglaf is the only coward in the bunch.
41. The story of Beowulf takes place in English.
42. Grendel can never touch Hrothgar’s throne because it is protected by God.
43. Boewulf is descended from an angel.
44. Grendel’s mother mortally wounds Beowulf.
45. Beowulf hangs Grendel’s legs from the top of the mead hall.

Matching (numbers – letters)

46. Builder of Herot
47. Monster
48. Would not desert Beowulf
49. Great mead hall
50. Mead
51. Epic
52. Kenning
53. Alliteration
54. Caesura
55. Geat warrior

a. Wiglaf
b. Hrothgar
c. Beowulf
d. Grendel
e. Herot
f. Poems with battles, heroes, serious subject matter
g. Pause within a line of poetry
h. Drink made from honey
i. Phrase which refers to a person, place, or thing
j. Repeating sounds at the beginning of words

Fill In the Blank

56. ____________Greatest literary work from the Anglo-Saxons.
57. ____________What Grendel represents in Beowulf.
58. ____________was “conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ of Cain.” 59.
Beowulf says that he will fight Grendel with ________________
60. When Grendel escaped, he went to his __________.
61. ____________Number of strong beats in a line of Anglo-Saxon poetry. 62.
____________ Repetition of initial consonant sounds.
63. ____________Pause in the middle of a line of poetry.
64. ____________An elaborate phrase that describes a metaphorical way.
65. ____________ “who of all the mean on earth / was the strongest.”
Short Answer
66. Discuss at least 5 characteristics of an epic. Give an example from Beowulf.