Beowolf Flashcards
Beowulf
Epic Geat hero
Broth had
Danish king
Ecgtheow
Beowulfs father
Hygelac
Beowulfs king
Breca
Friend and rival of Beowulfs
Unferth
Member of Hrothgars court who challenges/taunts Beowulf
Wealhtheow
Queen of Danes
Grendel
Monster who terrorizes Hrothgars kingdom
Grendel’s Mother
Monster who seeks revenge for Grendel’s death
Aeschere
Loyal companion of Hrothgar
Wiglaf
Loyal warrior who helps Beowulf
Themes of Beowulf
- reputation
- good vs evil
- fate
- pagan vs monotheistic religion
- vengeance
- death
Scop
Anglo Saxon minstrel (entertainer. Ex sings, plays music, etc)
Alliteration
Repitition of initial sound (Ex. Grim and greedy the gruesome monster)
Caesura
The break in line of verse
Meter
The beat/rhythm of a poem
Kenning
A metaphor compound word (Ex. Gold-digger)
Epithet
Descriptive title (Ex. The Grey Eyed Goddess)
Formulas
Regularly used expressions
Versification
Form or composition of a poem
What’s the name of Hrothgar’s great mead-hall?
Heorot (Hall of the Hart)
How did the book both start and end?
With a ship burial. They send the dead out on a small both with its prize possessions. At the beginning it is Scyld’s funeral (the leader of the Danes before Hrothgar) then at the end it’s Beowulfs
What causes Grendel to harm the palace?
He hated each day how he heard songs from the Old Testament being sung in the mead hall
Who does Grendel trace his monstrous lineage back to?
Cain: in the Bible Cain killed his brother Abel and God banned and cursed him and his children (Grendel)
How many men does Grendel kill on the first night?
30
How long does Grendel haunt Heorot until Beowulf comes?
12 years