35 Questions | By Kdani3ls | Last updated: Mar 21, 2022 | Total Attempts: 652
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Beowulf is an Anglo Saxon epic poem is considered one of the oldest surviving long stories in English language. It takes us into the life of Beowulf a youthful warrior against Grendel who despises humans. Take up the quiz below designed to help you prepare for the examination over the Beowulf poem.
1.
Which of the following lines from Beowulf contains an example of
kenning?
A.
“ ‘Higlac is my cousin and my king; the days / Of my youth have been filled with glory.’ ”
B.
“Their guide reined in his horse, pointing / To that hall, built by Hrothgar for the best / And bravest of his men . . .”
C.
“The high hall rang, its roof boards swayed, / And Danes shook with terror.”
D.
“ ‘. . . I have come so far, / Oh shelterer of warriors and your people’s loved friend, / That this one favor you should not refuse me . . . ’ ”
2.
From which fact can the reader infer that the character Beowulf is honorable?
A.
Beowulf refuses to use weapons because Grendel uses none.
B.
Higlac is Beowulf’s cousin.
C.
Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats.
D.
Beowulf vows to trick Grendel into killing Hrothgar.
3.
What does this line from Beowulf mean? “the monster’s thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws”
A.
He is hungry.
B.
He has sharp claws.
C.
He is not trustworthy.
D.
He has intelligence.
4.
In Beowulf when the dying Beowulf gives Wiglaf his gold necklace, the gesture means that
A.
Beowulf has captured the monster’s treasure.
B.
Beowulf wants Wiglaf to kill his comrades.
C.
Beowulf is passing on the rulership of Geatland to Wiglaf.
D.
Beowulf recognizes Wiglaf’s superior strength in battle.
5.
Which is the best paraphrase for this passage from Beowulf ? —Then the sword / Melted, blood-soaked, dripping down / Like water, disappearing like ice when the world’s / Eternal Lord loosens invisible / Fetters and unwinds icicles and frost . . .
A.
God made the bloody sword turn to dripping icicles and frost.
B.
Beowulf loosened his grip on the bloody sword and it disappeared into the water.
C.
Beowulf’s bloody sword became liquid the way ice and frost do when God warms and melts them.
D.
God made the sword melt and freed Beowulf from the magic fetters that bound him.
6.
Which phrase best paraphrases the underlined words in this quotation from Beowulf? . . . they could hack at Grendel / From every side, trying
to open/
, but their points / Could not hurt him.
A.
To kill him
B.
To drive him out of the hall
C.
To speak to him in a séance
D.
To help him escape
7.
When used to describe Beowulf, the phrase “noble protector of all seamen” is an example of
A.
A caesura.
B.
A foil.
C.
A kenning
D.
An alliteration.
8.
. In Beowulf, Grendel’s arm hanging in the banquet hall of the Danes might be described as a kind of _______ for the Geats.
A.
Allusion
B.
Caesura
C.
Trophy
D.
Punishment
9.
When Beowulf requests that he alone “May purge all evil from this hall,” what does he mean by purge?
A.
Unearth and torment
B.
Cleanse and purify
C.
Submerge and deny
D.
Bury and forget
10.
Which of the following passages contains a reference to the pagan religion of the past?
A.
“A powerful monster, living down / In the darkness, growled in pain, impatient / As day after day the music rang / Loud in that hall. . . .”
B.
“ . . . sailors / Have brought us stories of Herot, the best / Of all mead-halls, deserted and useless . . .”
C.
“. . . He was spawned in that slime, / Conceived by a pair of those monsters born / Of Cain, . . .”
D.
“And sometimes they sacrificed to the old stone gods, / Made heathen vows, hoping for Hell’s / Support, . . .”
11.
Which of the following literary terms best describes the underlined words in the following quotation from Beowulf? “Beowulf,/
That mighty protector of men,/ Meant to hold the monster till its life / Leaped out”
A.
A kenning
B.
A caesura
C.
An appositive phrase
D.
A compound predicate
12.
Which phrase best restates the underlined words in this quotation from Beowulf? “He who had come to them from across the sea, / Bold and strong-minded,
had driven affliction / Off, purged Herot clean (lines 399–401).”
A.
Had killed the dragon in battle
B.
Had rid the land of pain and suffering
C.
Had forced the evil monster from the hall
D.
Had successfully repelled fate
13.
Which of the following is not an element of the epic genre?
A.
Struggle of good versus evil
B.
Episodes important to the nation’s history
C.
National values
D.
Lighthearted tone
14.
Hrunting is
A.
Beowulf's sword
B.
The Danes' mead hall
C.
Grendel’s home
D.
Wiglaf’s wife
15.
When do most scholar’s believe “Beowulf was written
A.
8th century
B.
9th century
C.
11th century.
D.
14th century
16.
Which of the following allusions does the poet make in reference to Grendel?
A.
Reference to the Anglo-Saxons
B.
Biblical story of Cain
C.
Biblical story of Job
D.
Reference to History of the English Speaking People
17.
Herot Hall was closed by the Danes for
A.
A decade
B.
20 years
C.
One winter
D.
12 years
18.
Beowulf says he won’t use weapons against Grendel because
A.
They won’t work against him
B.
He left them behind in Geatland
C.
Grendel does not use weapons
D.
Higlac might think less of him
19.
Grendel’s mother kills Hrothgar’s best friend and
A.
Carries off Grendel’s arm
B.
Favorite dog
C.
Steals his treasure
D.
Only son
20.
The dragon’s treasure was
A.
Never found
B.
Thrown in the sea
C.
Buried with Beowulf
D.
Given to Higlac
21.
How does Beowulf die?
A.
He is mortally wounded by the dragon
B.
He is poisoned
C.
He is stabbed by Hrothgar
D.
Old age
22.
How does Grendel respond to the realization that Beowulf will challenge his fighting skills?
A.
Excitedly
B.
Indifferently
C.
Joyously
D.
Fearfully
23.
The fire dragon is awakened by an act of
A.
Violence
B.
Vengeance
C.
Greed
D.
God
24.
Why does Beowulf want Wiglaf to bring him the jewels from the fire dragon’s castle?
A.
He is greedy and wants the treasure for himself.
B.
He wants the comfort of seeing the prize he has won.
C.
He is afraid that they will fall to others.
D.
He wants to see if Wiglaf is brave enough to succeed him.
25.
Which of the following
does notreflect the oral tradition of the epic Beowulf ?
A.
Before it was written down, the story of Beowulf was preserved for generations by word of mouth.
B.
Beowulf reflects the cultural tradition of telling stories in the mead-halls.
C.
When the thanes feasted, the King gave the best portion of meat to the bravest warrior.
D.
Scops memorized and recited the poetic verses of Beowulf as a form of entertainment.