1.

Give an in-depth analysis of the following characters in no more than three sentences for each:

Beowulf - He is a Geatish hero who fought against Grendel, Grendels mother, and a dragon.
He illustrates the traits of the perfect hero. The poem brought up Beowulfs courageousness
as a warrior and his audacity as a king to his men.
Grendel A vague monster full of loneliness, hatred and inferiority, who brought violence to
the Danes. Grendel is an outcast who seems too long to be reinstated.
Hrothgar - Hrothgar, the aged ruler of the Danes who accepts Beowulfs help in the first part
of the story, aids Beowulfs development into maturity. Hrothgar is a relatively static
character, a force of stability in the social realm. Although he is as solidly rooted in the heroic
code as Beowulf is, his meditations on heroism and leadership, which take into account a
heros entire life span rather than just his valiant youth, reveal the contrast between youth
and old age that forms the turning point in Beowulfs own development.
Unferth - Unferths character whose traits contrast with and thereby accentuate those of
Beowulf. The bitterness of Unferths chiding of Beowulf about his swimming match with
Breca clearly reflects his jealousy of the attention that Beowulf receives. Unferths harsh
words show that it ought not to be bitter or disparaging of others and rather than heroism,
Unferths blustering reveals pride and resentment.
Wiglaf - Wiglaf, one of Beowulfs kinsmen and thanes, is the only warrior brave enough to
help the hero in his fight against the dragon. Wiglaf conforms perfectly to the heroic code in
that he is willing to die attempting to defeat the opponent and, more importantly, to save his
lord. In this regard, Wiglaf appears as a reflection of the young Beowulf in the first part of the
storya warrior who is strong, fearless, valiant, and loyal.

2. Cite some biblical allusions found in the epic.

There are several Biblical references in Beowulf that are quite interesting. Grendel is referred
to as a descendant of Cain: "the hostile-hearted creature, Gods enemy, guilty of murder". In addition,
there is a reference to the Great Flood that took place in Genesis: "the origin of ancient strife, when
the flood, rushing water, slew the race of giants they suffered terribly: that was a people alien to the
Everlasting Lord. The Ruler made them a last payment through waters welling". In this reference to the
biblical flood, the author of Beowulf is suggesting that the sword's creators were descendants of
those that caused God to bring on the flood perhaps even suggesting that they were descendants of
Cain. However, earlier in the passage these same giants are referred to with reverence: "There came
into the possession of the prince of the Danes, after the fall of devils, the work of wonder-smiths". Once
again there is a contrast between the pagan and Christian cultures, as the same "giants" are referred
to with honour and contempt in succeeding paragraphs.
3. A kenning is a colourful, roundabout way of naming something, example

That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime.

Identify a minimum of five kennings found in the epic.

whale-road to mean the sea

light-of-battle to mean a sword
battle-sweat to mean blood
raven-harvest to mean a corpse
ring-giver to mean a king
sky-candle to mean the sun.

4. What does comitatus mean? How is this reflected in the epic?

In Anglo-Saxon literature, comitatus refers to a relationship that benefited both noblemen

and freemen. According to the comitatus relationship, nobleman provided the freemen with land in
exchange for protection and loyalty. For freemen, it was an opportunity to rise in social status while
the nobility gained protection and loyalty. Eventually, the freemen became known as thanes.

The expectations of the comitatus were rigorous, but there were some great benefits. The
thane must agree to defend the king or nobleman to his death if necessary. In return, the nobility
shared their wealth and provided weapons. Perhaps more important is the mutual respect,
friendship, and honor that the nobility and thanes shared.

Beowulf and Hrothgar

An early example of comitatus in Beowulf occurs when Beowulf answers King Hrothgar's call
for help. A really bad monster named Grendel has plundered Hrothgar's mead hall. Grendel's
presence makes it impossible to drink mead in peace without the fear of being eaten alive. Equipped
with a ferocious appetite, Grendel consumes at least one or two of Hrothgar's warriors every night.
Beowulf is more than willing to do whatever is necessary to help Hrothgar euthanize the monster,
even if it means dying in the process:

'My purpose was this: to win the good will

Of your people or die in battle, pressed
In Grendel's fierce grip.'

In return, Hrothgar gives Beowulf treasures and pronounces his appreciation for Beowulf's loyalty:

'Now Beowulf, best of men,

I will love you in my heart like a son;
keep to our new kinship from this day on.'

According to the code of comitatus, the close relationship between lord and thane is often
one of close kinship.
5. Describe:

a) The fight between Beowulf and Grendel

Beowulf's warriors draw their swords but their blades cannot pierce Grendel's hide. After
a feverish and bloody one-on-one battle, Beowulf finally tears Grendel's arm off at the
shoulder. Grendel retreats to his home in the marshes and dies, leavingBeowulf victorious and
Heorot free from the terror of Grendel.

b) The fight between Beowulf and Grendels mother

Beowulf goes underwater and fights with Grendel's mother in a cave. During his
descent to her lair, Beowulf is attacked by Grendel's mother and dragged to her cave. He
tries to hit her with his sword but he does not succeed in piercing her skin. In rage and
frustration Beowulf attacks her with his bare hands. He manages to knock down Grendel's
mother, however, she is swift and manages to fight back and ends up sitting on top of him.
With her dagger she desperately tries to kill Beowulf, but his armor protects him from her
attacks. Beowulf then spots a large sword made by giants on the wall of the cave and throws
Grendel's mother off him and grabs the sword.
The sword Beowulf finds is amazing. It has a very ornamented handle called a hilt and the
blade is bigger than the average sword. Beowulf strikes Grendel's mother with the sword
slicing her in two and splitting her collarbones.
c) The fight between Beowulf and the Dragon
Before heading into the dragon's lair, Beowulf tells his thanes that this is his last
battle. Bringing along his sword and special shield, Beowulf enters the lair and tells the men
to wait for him. He shouts as he walks in, and the dragon awakes.
Immediately, the dragon breathes fire over Beowulf. The shield holds off the flame, but
when Beowulf tries to strike the dragon, his sword fails him, and Beowulf is left unarmed. At
this moment, when their king needs them, ten of the eleven thanes who had come with
Beowulf flee in fright. Only Wiglaf stays.
The dragon attacks again, covering Wiglaf and Beowulf in fire. Beowulf wounds the
dragon, but the dragon stabs his neck with his poisoned tusk. Beowulf is badly wounded.
Wiglaf stabs the dragon but is burned in the process. Beowulf manages to pull out a knife
tucked in his belt and stabs the dragon. Together, the king and his loyal thane kill the dragon.
But the wound in Beowulf's neck begins to burn, and the old king knows he's not long for the
world.

6. What traits of Beowulf and Grendel raise the fight between them to an epic struggle between
two great opposing forces in the world?

Beowulf represents good and humanity while Grendel on the other hand represents evil. The
poem told us how Beowulf killed Grendel all because of his great courage and purity. This further
implies that humanity is able to defeat evil if we just make our soul strong, pure and full of courage.
7. Beowulf is thought to be a perfect hero for his times.

a) What qualities should a modern hero have?

Pure and courageous.
b) In what situations might a modern hero demonstrate these heroic qualities?
These heroic qualities might be reflected when we are willing to help others without
thinking of any returns. A hero is one who places himself or herself at great risk while
performing acts of courage.
c) Give examples of modern heroes or of heroic behaviour.

At age seven, Kesz was able to start his Caring Children organization that
provides the basic needs of 10,000 street children, having been from a poor and
depressed background himself. Now at 13-years-old, the Cavite-born is one of three
nominated for the 2012 International Childrens Peace Prize, to be awarded by
Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu on September 19th.

8. Cite 5 quotable statements found in the poem.

"They have seen my strength for themselves,/ Have watched me rise from the darkness of war,/
Dripping with my enemies' blood. I drove/ Five great giants into chains, chased/ All of that race from
the earth. I swam/ In the blackness of night, hunting monsters/ Out of the ocean, and killing them
one/ By one; death was my errand and the fate/ They had earned. Now Grendel and I are called/
Together, and I've come."

"'And if death does take me, send the hammered/ Mail of my armor to Higlac, return/ The inheritance
I had from Hrethel, and he/ From Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!'"

"like ice when the world's/ Eternal Lord loosens invisible/ Fetters and unwinds icicles and frost/ As
only He can, He who rules/ Time and seasons, He who is truly/ God."

"She and that ripening soldier will be married/ . . . Hoping that his quarrel with the Hathobards can be
settled/ By a woman. He's wrong: how man wars/ Have been put to rest in a prince's bed?/ Few. A
bride can bring a little/ Peace, make spears silent for a time,/ But not long."

"The old man's mouth was silent, spoke/ No more, had said as much as it could;/ He would sleep in
the fire, soon. His soul/ Left his flesh, flew to glory."