IT’S LITERATURE

Pag. 55 es. 1
Answer the questions.
a. What are the three major battles that Beowulf fights?
There are three major battles that Beowulf fights against: with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon.
b. How does Beowulf embody the heroic ideal?
Beowulf embody the perfect heroic ideal. He is almost brave and strong. He is loyal to his king, Hygelac, and he leaps to take revenge even against opponents who haven’t harmed him personally (like Grendel and Grendel’s mother).
c. What do the mead-hall and the outside world represent?
The mead-hall represents home and security with torches and fires giving light and warmth, with loyal friends, rewards for the brave, songs and storytellers. The outside world is dark and threatening, a world of dangerous marshes, woods, lakes and horrible creatures. It represents disorder and brings chaos into the community.
d. What pagan and Christian elements can be found in the poem?
The poem includes pagan mythology and celebrates th characters’ ancestors, their wars and struggles, showing how the past shaped the present. However, it also combines the pagan story with a different, Christian viewpoint. The characters are given Christian thoughts and motives, Beowulf often refers to God as his protector and Grendel is presented as a monster descended from Cain.
e. What three important features of Anglo-Saxon poetry can we find in Beowulf?
In Beowulf we can find three important features of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Each line is divided into two halves, separated by a caesura or pause. Moreover, alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, links the phrases together and creates a musical effect. Another typical technique is the kenning, a short metaphorical description of a thing or person through a compound noun.

Before you read
es. 1
Imagine what it is like to be one of the warriors in the hall, waiting for a terrible monster which you have never seen. What do you hear, see, think as you are waiting? Discuss in pairs or groups.

I imagine I hear the screams of the other warriors as this creature threatensly advances and kills the people around me. I am afraid, afraid of dying but inside me a voice tells me to fight and try to save myself.

Pag. 56 es. 1
Put the events in the correct order.
a. Grendel’s whole body shakes with pain because of a deep cut in his shoulder. 10
b. The monster kills a warrior and devours him. 4
c. Grendel, hungry and bloodthirsty, makes his way to Heorot. 1
d. Beowulf reacts quickly and grabs the monster’s arm in his hand. 6
e. Grendel’s bones and muscles break and Beowulf tears his arm off. 9
f. Beowulf understands he has defeated the monster. 12
g. Grendel looks around the hall, his eyes burning with rage. 3
h. Grendel is surprised at Beowulf’s strength. 8
i. Grendel escapes to his den to die. 11
j. Grendel breaks down the door of Hrothgar’s hall. 2
k. Beowulf’s grip is so strong that Grendel cannot free himself. 7
l. Grendel turns to Beowulf and raises his terrible claw to strike him. 5

es. 2
Focus on Grendel.
a. How is the monster described? Find words and phrases in the extract.
1. Grendel is God’s enemy:
l. 2 God-cursed, l. 17 the captain of evil
2. he runs with long, slow steps: l. 2 loping
3. he cannot control his anger: l. 3 boiled over
4. he is so strong that he can destroy buildings:
l. 3 ripped open
5. he makes a horrible noise when he walks:
l. 6 loathsome tread
6. his eyes reflect his evil nature:
ll. 6-7 a baleful light, flame more than light, flared from his eyes
7. he feeds on corpses: l. 10 gorged on him in lumps, leaving the body
8. he is half man and half beast:
l. 13, l. 15 talon, claw
b. What do these words and phrases highlight?
Choose and give reasons.
his inhuman nature and animal instincts

Pag. 57 es. 3
Focus on Beowulf.
a. Read the following sentences and say if they are true (T) or false (F). Then, correct the false ones.
1. Beowulf tries to stop Grendel from killing the warrior. F
2. He pretends he is sleeping in his bed. T
3. When Grendel attacks him, he is taken by surprise. F
4. He has decided to fight the monster with his sword. F
5. He is one of the strongest warriors on earth. T
6. His victory will give him a glorious reputation. T
b. Which typical qualities of the epic hero does Beowulf show in the extract?
cleverness
wisdom
courage
ambition
physical strength

es. 4
Consider language and style.
a. Identify the caesura in the lines given. Divide each line into two parts by inserting a slash (/). Sometimes they are divided by punctuation, sometimes not.
1. God-cursed / Grendel came greedily loping.
2. The captain of evil discovered himself / in a handgrip harder than anything
3. and the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted
the glory of winning; / Grendel was driven under the fen banks, fatally hurt,
b. Read lines 1-7 and find some examples of alliteration.
1. [m] mouth, maddening
2. [g] God-cursed, Grendel, greedily
3. [k] - - -
4. [r] rage, ripped
5. [b] building, blood
6. [p] pacing, patterned
7. [l] loathsome, light
8. [f] flame, flared, from
c. Look for a kenning in l. 25 and explain its meaning.
bone-lappings: carne

es. 5
Complete the text with the words provided.

The extract describes the duel between Beowulf and Grendel. The monster bursts into Heorot and immediately devours a Geatish warrior while Beowulf pretends to be asleep. In fact, he is ready to fight him with his bare hands. When Grendel tries to strike him, Beowulf grips his claw with strength. The monster is in terrible pain but he can’t escape. Beowulf is so strong that he tears Grendel’s arm off. Fatally wounded, Grendel returns to his cave to die. The episode highlights Beowulf’s qualities as a warrior: he is brave, clever, stronger than any man Grendel has met and fights him enemy on equal terms.