Beowulf

by Richard Wilbur

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Beowulf Questions and Answers

What happens to the dragon's hoard?

In Beowulf, who is Healfdane's son?

Three funerals are described in Beowulf.  Whose funerals are they?

How does Beowulf die?

How long did Grendel's terror reign over the Danes?

Heaney describes the mead-hall in Beowulf as a "bawn" at several points in the poem.  Why does Heaney use this particular word in his translation?  

In Beowulf, why does the author make Grendel invulnerable to all human weapons?

Which passages might reflect a specifically Anglo-Saxon philosophy of life? Which passages might reflect a Christian outlook?

What are the values and customs of a warrior society according to Beowulf? 

How do you create a "Beowulf boast"?

Name three fratricides in Beowulf. Who loses their head? Identify three beheadings in Beowulf.

I need help writing an essay for the following assignment:   The pagan Germans, Greeks, and other ancient peoples believed that fame and glory are the only things that will survive a human being’s death. What evidence do you find in Beowulf of the importance placed on a person’s public reputation? Write an essay in which you use examples from the poem to support your answer.    

As Beowulf fights Grendels mother, where are his companions, and what are they thinking?

Is there a work of literature, similar to Beowulf, where the hero fights a monster to save his kingdom?

Effect that Caesuras creates throughtout Beowulf? What effect do the caesuras create throughtout Beowulf.?

Many critics and teachers believe that Beowulf contains themes that are relevant to modern life.

What does a hero's death mean to Beowulf's people?

What are the major five battles of "Beowulf?"  

Why did the Danes bury the treasure that Beowulf and Wiglaf recovered from the dragon?  

In Beowulf, how does Grendel feel about Hrothgar's men?

Where does Beowulf open?

How are Beowulf and Batman different?  

Name three uncle-nephew relationships in the poem, and briefly describe how the two relatives treat each other in the poem.

Why did the elders of Geats support Beowulf going to help King Hrothgar in the epic poem Beowulf?

Christian Elements In Beowulf

what does Beowulf symbolize?  

With what scene does the epic Beowulf open with?

Why does Beowulf slay Grendel?

An epic journey contains few obstacles for the hero to overcome.   True or false?

What would be a good topic for an essay on Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons?

What request does Beowulf make before before he dives into the lake?

Why is "Beowulf" the first sample of Old English?

What important part do the animals (real animals, not mythical) play in Beowulf?

Does the fact Beowulf's comrades attempt to aid him add or detract from the heroic quality of the fight with Grendel?

Explain the absence of hospitality toward strangers in the Middle Ages, and find at least one quote from  Wilbur's "Beowulf" to support your explanation.

Is there a concise way to sum up the paradigm shift in the form of poetry throughout English literature's development (i.e. is there a parallel to the ancient pattern of epic poetry to dramatic poetry to lyrical poetry)?

What are some of the poetic conventions in Beowulf?

Who is Grendal in Beowulf?

Are there any narrative detours in Beowulf? If yes, what purpose did it/they serve?

Where is King Hrothgar and what is his response to learning that Beowulf has come to his kingdom in Beowulf?

Is Beowulf the ideal epic hero? If not, what is he lacking? 

Based on the material from Richard Wilbur's "Beowulf" (1950), how can you start a thesis statement?

What are some major battles in Beowulf?

Based on the actions, the words, and the heroic ideals of the characters in the epic poem "Beowulf", how did they interpret the heroic code?