| Hrothgar | Who is King of the Danes (Denmark)? |
| he repaid their loyalty with the spoils of victory | How was Hrothgar generous to his knights? |
| a huge hall, or stronghold | What did King Hrothgar build for this people? |
| Heorot | What was the name of Hrothgar’s stronghold? |
| to entertain the knights with feasts and music and protect them from enemies | Why did Hrothgar build Heorot? |
| they were gone and the walls and floor were splattered with blood and gore | After the night’s festivities, what happened to King Hrothgar’s guests? |
| Grendel | Who did Hrothgar say did this? |
| gigantic monster, part human, part devil, part animal | How is Grendel described? |
| of great goodness | What kind of person did it take to kill Grendel? |
| bottom of the lake forever in water caves with his monster mother and other evil creatures | Where did the magician banish Grendel to live? |
| Grendel killed them and carried their bodies off to the caves | What happened to the ten more knights who guarded the next feast? |
| troubador | Who escaped Grendel’s second attack on Heorot? |
| a part of Sweden called Jutland, the land of the Geats | Where did the troubador go? |
| Hygelac | Who is King of the Geats? |
| Beowulf | Who decided that he would conquer Grendel? |
| King Hygelac’s 18 year old nephew | Who was Beowulf? |
| a swimmer of superhuman endurance | What power did Beowulf have? |
| entered a swimming contest, storm created whirlpools, dashed against cliffs, nixies attacked him, Beowulf killed them all | How did Beowulf prove this superhuman strength? |
| clutched rocks with one hand and used his weapons with the other | How did Beowulf survive the nixies? |
| gave him his own precious sword | How did Hygelac reward his nephew? |
| Nageling | What was the sword’s name? |
| 14 | How many men did Beowulf take to Denmark? |
| he begged him not to undertake the mission | What was King Hrothgar’s first reaction to Beowulf’s decision to go after Grendel? |
| hand-to-hand combat | How did Beowulf think Grendel would be defeated? |
| Grendel killed them | What happened to Beowulf’s men when Grendel came? |
| grabbed one of his arms and pulled it off | How did Beowulf injure Grendel? |
| hung it from a beam on the ceiling of Heorot | What did Beowulf do with Grendel’s arm? |
| a great feast | What did Hrothgar order after Beowulf defeated Grendel? |
| Queen Wealtheow | Who is King Hrothgar’s wife? |
| a gold ring and necklace named Brisingamen | What did Queen Wealtheow give to Beowulf? |
| Grendel’s mother because she was mad at his defeat and sad by his slow death | Who took revenge on the people at Heorot? Why? |
| her son’s arm and Asker | What did Grendel’s mother take from Heorot? |
| in the sea’s caves | Where would Beowulf have to go to defeat Grendel’s mother? |
| If I am not back in 2 days, then know that I am dead | What were Beowulf’s instructions to Hrothgar and his men before he dove in the sea? |
| phosphorescent light | What began to shine in the watery cavern to guide Beowulf? |
| Nageling | What did Beowulf use to kill the other monsters that clutched him as he was swimming to the cave? |
| she clasped him in a death grip and he killed her with Nageling | What happened when Beowulf and Grendel’s mother battled? |
| killed him with Nageling | What did Beowulf do to Grendel after killing his mother? |
| the blood of the monsters melted the sword blade | What happened to the sword Nageling after he killed the monsters? |
| the heads of Grendel and Grenel’s mother | What did Beowulf hold when he resurfaced? |
| given treasures | How did the Danes show their appreciation to Beowulf? |
| his home in Jutland | Where did Beowulf travel to after his killed the monsters? |
| Before I die, I shall do still greater deeds | What was the last thing that Beowulf said? |
Beowulf Comprehension Questions
February 22, 2020