Beowulf Test Flashcards
1
Q
What centuries was Beowulf created in?
A
7th and 8th
2
Q
What type of old english story is Beowulf?
A
old english folk epic
3
Q
What does epic mean?
A
long poem
4
Q
Beowulf is about a hero in what type of poem form?
A
long poem form
5
Q
What is a folkloric?
A
a fictional story told by word of mouth first
6
Q
What year is considered old english time?
A
449
7
Q
What percent of old english isn’t used in modern english?
A
85%
8
Q
Why did the story of Beowulf keep getting told and brought up?
A
it reflected what the people were going through at the time
9
Q
Who was Beowulf told by?
A
scops
10
Q
What are scops?
A
people who traveled and told stories
11
Q
Beowulf was _____ authored, what we read is only a _____, and it was written down in the _____ century
A
anonymously, translation, 11th
12
Q
What years is middle english?
A
1150-1500
13
Q
What writer wrote in middle english?
A
Chaucer
14
Q
what years is modern english?
A
1500-present
15
Q
What writer wrote in modern english?
A
Shakespeare
16
Q
When was the great vowel shift?
A
1400-1450
17
Q
What was the point of the great vowel shift?
A
to agree to put vowels into words
18
Q
The printing press was brought to _____ in _____ by _____.
A
England, 1476, Caxton
19
Q
Where did the brythons settle?
A
Britain
20
Q
Where did the gaels settle?
A
Ireland
21
Q
The brythons and the gaels are called _____, and when they would get into arguments, they looked to the _____ to help them.
A
Celts, Druids
22
Q
Saxon literature began with _____ verse.
A
spoken
23
Q
What were some popular story genres in saxon literature?
A
heroic poetry, achievements of warriors, poetry lamenting deaths of loved ones & loss of past
24
Q
Beowulf is the most famous example of _____ poetry
A
heroic
25
What is considered the national epic of england?
Beowulf
26
What is a ballad?
folk songs that tell stories
27
What are miracle plays?
"mystery plays" that retold stories from the bible
28
What are morality plays?
these depict life of an ordinary person and teach a moral lesson
29
In 1476, when Caxton moved the printing press to england, what was 1st to be printed?
the canterbury tales
30
What's another name for old english?
anglo-saxon
31
Give examples of french words that were infused into middle english.
dine, table, honor, court
32
Give examples of some anglo-saxon words.
bedd, candel, eorth
33
Which religion is Beowulf's pre-dates?
christianity
34
When is beowulf's ethos (credibility) determined?
before he shows up to Herot
35
Beowulf's reputation gives him what?
status
36
In this story, heroes come from what?
good blood/being a good warrior
37
What is domestic terrorism?
the committing of terrorist acts in the perpetrator's own country against their fellow citizens
38
Why do the people assume Grendel is bad?
he comes from family that is bad
39
What is Herot?
a meeting hall
40
Grendel is an archetypal monster. What does this mean?
he follows a basic standard and is a stereotypical monster, he's a repeated story over a period of time that becomes universal
41
Where does the story of beowulf begin?
in herot hall
42
Who was Herot hall built for?
built for Hrothgar's people/soldiers
43
Who's Hrothgar in the story?
a king
44
Is hrothgar a good king & would the people fight for him?
yes, yes
45
Why is Grendel mad that the people are partying in Herot hall?
because it's loud and because he wasn't invited
46
T OR F? The Beowulf poet doesn't want readers to think about why Grendel kills, so the poet explains that Grendel is like Cain from the bible
true
47
What are some themes in Beowulf?
fate and reputation
48
How many people does Grendel kill at first?
80
49
How long does Grendel torment Herot?
12 years
50
What is Wergild?
a man-price/death-price; if someone died, you have to pay that family to give them some sense of justice
51
What is the pagan view of justice?
need tangible evidence & they value money because that's their legacy
52
Do pagans believe in an afterlife?
no
53
T of F? Beowulf's culture favors modesty.
False. His culture has no modesty, but this isn't seen as arrogant
54
What motivates Beowulf to help Hrothgar's people?
fame and glory
55
What is hubris?
a lot of pride
56
T OR F? In Beowulf's time, fame is earned respect.
true
57
Why does Beowulf want to only use his hands in the fight with Grendel?
because Grendel used his hands to kill, so Beowulf will only use his hands too
58
When/what time of day does the battle with Grendel begin?
at night in the darkness
59
What does Beowulf fighting Grendel in Herot hall symbolize?
purging evil from a place of good
60
What is exigence?
urgency/creating an urgent moment
61
What is Beowulf's last thought that becomes his motivation?
the thought that he boasted about winning, so it'd be weird for him to lose
62
What is kairos?
timing/the right time to act
63
Who does Grendel's mom kill in order to get revenge for her son's death?
Hrothgar's close friend
64
What is marginalization?
treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or peripheral
65
Which 2 places represent marginalization?
the lake & the lair because Grendel's mom and Grendel are isolated from society
66
What does Grendel's mom steal back?
Grendel's arm
67
T OR F? PAGAN ELEMENT? Hrothgar motivating Beowulf with money
true, pagan's favor material things, like money
68
T OR F? Grendel's mom is harder to fight than Grendel
true
69
In the battle with Grendel's mom, what is Beowulf reclaiming?
his fame
70
In the battle with Grendel's mom, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to do what if he dies?
rule Beowulf's people
71
In the battle with Grendel's mom, who is the character who doubts Beowulf will win?
Unferth
72
T OR F? In the battle with Grendel's mom, the battle is at the lair, so it contrasts with the 1st battle where Beowulf fights at Herot
true
73
In the battle with Grendel's mom, explain the christian baptism motif.
Beowulf is reborn when he comes out of the swamp
74
In the battle with Grendel's mom, what is the mom tied to? (not literally tied to something)
revenge for Grendel
75
In the battle with Grendel's mom, what is the indication that Beowulf is losing?
Beowulf takes his sword
76
What is hrunting?
a sword
77
T OR F? In the battle with Grendel's mom, the anglo-saxon view would believe Beowulf went underwater and could breathe while fighting.
false. They believe Beowulf went underwater and couldn't breathe, which displays him as a stronger hero
78
In the battle with Grendel's mom, Grendel's mom is winning and _____ Beowulf, but his _____ protects him.
stabs, armor
79
In the battle with Grendel's mom, Beowulf feels _____ to win.
fated
80
After the battle with Grendel's mom, Beowulf cuts off Grendel's head. What does this symbolize?
Grendel's mom's personal loss
81
After the battle with Grendel's mom, Beowulf cuts off Grendel's mom's head and does what with it to prove that he won?
brings it to Hrothgar
82
T OR F? Cutting off a head after death in anglo-saxon times was acceptable.
true, it's seen as a symbol of glory
83
Who is king of the Danes?
Hrothgar
84
Who is the leader of the Geats?
Beowulf
85
When does Beowulf's sword melt?
after Beowulf cuts Grendel's head off
86
How many years have passed since the battle with Grendel's mom?
50 years
87
What is different about the last battle to Beowulf?
for the 1st time, Beowulf has to put himself in the shoes of being a king
88
In the last battle, does Beowulf still desire fame and glory?
yes
89
In the last battle, Beowulf gives a boast. What does he boast about?
his strength
90
What's different in the last battle about Beowulf's thoughts on using a sword instead of his hands?
Beowulf uses the sword upfront instead and doesn't feel shame about it
91
In the last battle, what happens to make beowulf feel fate against him for the 1st time?
his shield melts
92
In the last battle, how does the story change from fame to fate?
Beowulf is now taking personal ownership of his own fate
93
In the last battle, what does Beowulf learn about his actions?
that they can be good for others, not just himself
94
In the last battle, who is the only person who is loyal to Beowulf?
Wiglaf
95
T or F? In the spoils, Beowulf becomes mortally wounded by the dragon.
true
96
When Beowulf becomes injured by the dragon, who goes back and brings him the treasure?
Wiglaf
97
After the battle with the dragon, what does Beowulf ask Wiglaf to do with the treasure and what type of element is this?
to keep it on a mountain so people can remember him, pagan element
98
T or F? A pagan element in Beowulf is that they think that material things matter after death.
true
99
What does wyrd mean?
fate
100
How many battles was Beowulf fated to win?
2
101
What is comitatus?
loyalty, not leaving someone behind
102
Who is Beowulf's uncle/overlord?
Higlac
103
Hrothgar is king of the _____ and Higlac/Beowulf is king of the _____.
Danes, Geats
104
Who is Edgetho?
Beowulf's uncle/father
105
Us knowing that Edgetho is Beowulf's father is only important because of _____ and _____.
status, ancestry
106
Who is Grendel a descendant for?
Cain
107
What is a mead hall?
a hall to drink mead, which is alcohol
108
What's a kenning?
a 2 word metaphorical phrase
109
What's a caesura?
a pause of break within a line of poetry to create emotion/suspense
110
What do ethos, pathos, and logos mean?
credibility, emotion, logic
111
Is pathos, ethos, or logos the most important in the Beowulf story?
ethos
