1. Semester Exam 1 Review

2. Beowulf: Geat/Sweden Edgetho: Grendel : PROTAGONIST Prince of Sweden, Uncle Higlac is king of Sweden, crosses sea to help Danes. Beowulf’s father Evil Monster along with mother/dragon Man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake.

3. Herot: Golden guest-hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler.

4. Hrothgar: Dane/Denmark King of the Danes, builder of Herot. He had once befriended Beowulf’s father. His father was called Healfdane (which probably means “half Dane”). Hrothgar’s name might mean “glory-spear” or “spear of triumph.”

5. ① Beowulf is to England as _________________ are to ancient Greece. ① What is the first example of old English literature? ① Define epic: Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey Beowulf is an oral tradition. 1 st written example of Old English, written down around 700 A.D. by MONKS. Original author UNKNOWN. An epic is a heroic poem. A long narrative about the adventures of larger-than-life characters.

6. ④ List four reasons why Beowulf is an epic hero. Super-physical strength (bravery). Super-ethical (loyalty) Defeat monsters that embody dark, destructive powers. Glorified by the people he saved.

7. THE MONSTER GRENDEL

8. ⑤ What does laments mean? ⑥ What does reparation mean? ⑦ What does solace mean? Laments means to cry with grief. Reparation means payment to compensate for wrong doing. Solace means to find peace.

9. ⑧ Who is Grendel’s Biblical ancestor? ⑨ What is Herot? ⑧ Who is Hrothgar? Cain is Grendel’s Biblical ancestor. In this Danish Epic poem Grendel is conceived by a pair of monsters who are decedents of Cain. Cain’s decedents were banished by God for the crime of Cain killing Abel. Herot is the guest-hall of Hrothgar. Hrothgar is the Danish King who built Herot.

10. 11 Who is the strongest of the Geats? 11 What are the two settings? Beowulf is know as the strongest of the Geats. Herot (Hrothgar’s Hall) and Grendel’s lair.

11. 15 What does Grendel do at night? 15 Why do none of Hrothgar’s men challenge Grendel? 16 Why does Grendel not touch Hrothgar’s throne? Grendel sneaks into Herot Hall while the warriors are passed out and sleeping and kills them. Hrothgar’s men are taken by surprise because Grendel is too fast. The throne is protected by God. Grendel is a descendent of Cain and Cain’s lineage is cursed by God.

12. 18 The epic struggle ends between Grendel and Beowulf when... 19 Beowulf kills Grendel during … the battle. Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm from his body and Grendel returns to his lair and bleeds to death. Grendel realizes that he cannot defeat Beowulf.

13. beowulf Poetic Devices

14. kennings Kennings are special kinds of metaphors that use compound words, prepositional phrases, or possessives to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.

15. Possessive KENNING EXAMPLES: ① “ocean’s face” ② “ocean’s / Furrows” ③ “God’s bright beacon” ④ “Heaven’s high arch” ⑤ “Geats’ / Brave prince” ⑥ “hell’s captive”

16. Compound word kenning EXAMPLES: ① “sea-paths” ② “hell-forged” ③ “banquet-rich” ④ “ring-giver” ⑤ “mead-cup” ⑥ “she-wolf”

17. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE KENnING EXAMPLE: ① “winters of grief” ② “shelterer of warriors” ③ “shapes of darkness” ④ “shepherd of evil” ⑤ “tormentor of their days” ⑥ “journey / Into darkness”

18. ALLITERATION Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial sound (usually a consonant) to create a unifying sound effect or enhance a description. EXAMPLES: ① “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.” ② “And the heathen’s only hope, Hell Always in their hearts” ③ “Came carrying out the carved flasks” ④ “Your luck may change if you challenge Grendel” ⑤ “Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls” ⑥ “He leaped into the lake”