Activities of pages 55, 56 and 57

Page 55

Rounding it up

a-     The first battle that Beowulf fights is against Grendel, in which he manages to tear Grendel’s arm off, the second one is against Grendel’s mother, and in the end, after fifty years he became king, he manages to kill the dragon that is terrorizing the country, but, due to the wounds, he dies.

b-    He embodies the heroic ideal fighting against all the monsters, without any fear and despite his age.

c-     They represent dark and threat, words of a dangerous marshes, woods, lakes and horrible creatures.

d-    In the poem can be found pagan elements like the heroic ideal which was prominent in Germanic world, and also the importance of cultural heritage and ancestry. There can also be found Christian elements, such as the Christian thoughts and motives given to the charters and other Christian values.

e-    In Belleville so we can find the three important features of Anglo-Saxon poetry like the presence caesuras and pauses, that divides into 2/2’s every line, the regularity of the line structure which creates strong rhythms and the presence of alliterations that gives a musical effect to the poem.

Before you read

I hear some strange and frightening sounds; I am afraid of what I am hearing. Then the doors of the long house open and I can see a terrible creature attacking, tearing and wounding my friends, people I know. I know I’m going to die today, but I’ll do all the possible to survive.

Page 56

Exercise 1

a-     10 – Grendel’s whole body shakes with pain because of a deep cat in his shoulder.

b-    4 – the monster kills warrior and devours him.

c-     1 – Grendel, hungry and bloodthirsty, makes his way to Herot.

d-    6 – Beowulf reacts quickly and grabs the monster’s arm in his hand.

e-    9 – Grendel’s bones and muscles break and Beowulf tears his arm off.

f-      11 – Beowulf understands he has defeated the monster.

g-     3 – Grendel looks around the hall, his eyes burning with rage.

h-    8 - Grendel is surprised to Beowulf strength.

i-      12 – Grendel escapes to his den to die.

j-      2 – Grendel breaks down the door of Hrotgar’s hall.

k-     7 – Beowulf’s grip is so strong that Grendel cannot free himself.

l-      5 – Grendel turn to Beowulf and raises his terrible claw to strike him.

Exercise 2

a)

1- Grendel is God’s enemy: l. 2 God-cursed, l.17 captain of evil.

2- he runs with long, slow steps: l. 2 came greedily loping.

3- he cannot control his anger: l. 3 his rage boiled over.

4- he is so strong then he can destroy buildings: l.3 he ripped open.

5- he makes a horrible noise when he walks: l. loathsome tread.

6- his eyes reflect his evil nature: ll. 6-7 while a baleful light, […] flared from his eyes.

7- he feeds on corpses: l.10 gorged on him in lumps.

8- he is half man and half beast: l.13, l. 15, his talon, with open claw.

b)

What do these words and phrases highlight?

-       His inhumane nature and animal instinct

Page 57

Exercise 3

a)

1. Beowulf tries to stop Grendel from killing the warrior    F    Beowulf was laying on his bad
2. He pretends he is sleeping in his bed                                  T
3. When Grendel attacks him, he is taken by surprise         T
4. He has decided to fight the monster with his sword       F    we don’t know he he decided to fight the monster
5. He is one of the strongest warriors on earth                    T
6. His victory will give him a glorious reputation                  T

b)

cleverness, courage, physical strength

Exercise 4

a)

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, /to his desolate air

b)

1. (m): moors, mist/ mouth, maddening
2. (g): god, Grendel, greedily
3. (k): cursed, came
4. (r): rage, ripped
5. (b): building, blood
6. (p): pacing, patterned
7. (l): loathsome, light
8. (f): flame, flared

c)

the kenning is bone-lapping and gives more strength to the suffering that Grendel felt at that moment

Exercise 5

1. Duel
2. Devours
3. Asleep
4. Bare
5. Pain
6. Tears
7. Wounded
8. Die
9. Clever
10. Equal

Exercise 6