English 202
Kent-Drury Study Questions:  Beowulf

1. When Beowulf was written, history was viewed as cyclical, rather than causal and linear. Consequently, similar stories are repeated over and over again with slight variations which tell us a great deal about values and ethics at the time. For example, we hear several stories about kings, queens, marriages, battles, heroes, loyalty, leadership, etc. Try lining up these stories to gain perspective on how the narrator constructs the story. What does it take to be a good king? a hero? a good queen? a leader? loyal? Who are good examples? Who are bad examples? Do the good examples always show up in narratives with a happy ending? Does this bother us as modern readers? Why or why not?
2. When was Beowulf written?  By whom?  What historical period does the poem describe?  Where does the action take place?
3. What are the most important values of the heroic warrior society in the poem?
4. Why does the poem begin with the story of Scyld Scefing?  Compare the story of Scyld Scefing with Bede's "Parable of the Sparrow" from earlier reading.
5. As you read, find some statements about fate in the poem (there are at least five and probably more).  What attitude toward fate do these statements suggest?
6. Why does Grendel attack the hall?  What does he look like?
7. Who is Beowulf's father?  His mother?  What is his relation to Hrothgar?
8. What does Wealtheow the queen advise Hrothgar at the banquet?
9. What are the major themes of Hrothgar's sermon to Beowulf after Beowulf kills Grendel's mother?
10. Who is Hrothgar's daughter Freawaru engaged to marry?  Why?  With what result?
11. Find the "Lament of the Last Survivor" in Beowulf. How is it an elegy? Could the entire Beowulf poem itself be an elegy?  An elegy for what?
12. Is Beowulf courageous or stupid to face the dragon alone?  What will happen to his people after he dies?