1. How does Beowulf begin? What are the kings of Danes like and how do they change over time?
Why does Grendel attack Hall Heorot? How is this connected to Grendel’s lineage?
Before slaying Grendel what heroic feat has Beowulf already accomplished (and why might he not be renowned for it)
How does Beowulf fight Grendel, what is the reason he gives (and what might be the ‘real’ reason)
How is Grendel defeated, what was the reason that Grendel was undefeated up to this point?
Describe Queen Wealhtheow and Grendel’s Mother. How are they similar and how are they different, what might each represent symbolically?
What is the swamp/ mere where Grendel’s mother lives like, what do they find there?
What does Beowulf receive before jumping into the swamp, what might the significance of that be?
Describe the fight between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. What goes wrong, how is she defeated?
Describe the Giant’s blade, what it does and what is written on, what might it represent symbolically?
How is Beowulf before King of the Geats?
Why does the dragon attack the Geatish countryside, why was the treasure buried in the first place?
How does Beowulf’s fight with the dragon go, what goes wrong?
What is the significance of Wiglaf’s sword, what is the story behind it, and what might its symbolic meaning be?
How do the Geats honor Beowulf’s passing, what is implied to happen to Geats?
Midterm review- Grammar and Writing:
Know the following:
What a Kenning is.
The difference between the perfect, and plue perfect tense.
The difference between simple and progressive verbs, and a participle.
What Psychic/ narrative distance is (“Camera Operator” vs “Stream of Conscious”)
What a theme is, and how it differs from a topic.
