How Does Beowulf Decide To Sail To Help Hrothgar

Kulick Beowulf Guided Reading Questions Background

· When was Beowulf probably composed?

Around the Anglo-Saxon era.

· Which tribes are the stars of this poem?

The viking and the Hrothgar king and his people.

· How did Christian elements make their way into the poem if the tribes were pagan?

Because the monk who believes in christianity wrote it, even though he does not worship pagans.

· What is the general tone of the poem? Why is the tone that way?

The tone is a sad, and violent, because grendel is evil and he likes to eat humans.

· What does Herot symbolized?

Heorot is the Paradise which Grendel wants to take over/ destroy.

The Wrath of Grendel

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They try to negotiate with Grendel, but he does not negotiate.

The Coming of Beowulf

· Why does Beowulf decide to sail to help Hrothgar?

Fate is on his favor and everyone is talking about how miserable the Danes are because of the monster, so Beowulf wants to show them that he can beat a great monster.

· How many men does Beowulf take with him?

Enough to fill a boat.

· Describe Herot. What does its appearance tell you about Hrothgar and his people?

Herot is beautiful, with “towering majestic, its glittering roofs, visible far across the land.”(Beowulf 223)

· What is a formal boast?

A formal boast is a more polite form of an introduction. For example, when Beowulf introduced himself to the Dane guard, he introduced himself in an impolite way, but in front of the king he gave him a formal boast.

· What does Beowulf boast about?

He is explaining about how everyone thinks he is the best, and that he will do a great job at fighting the monster. He says he will help the Danes, because he is a great fighter.

· Highlight the places where Beowulf refers to fate.

“The omens were good and they urged the adventure

Because he knows there is someone/ and intruder near by.

The Last Battle

· How does Beowulf’s boast differ from the one he delivered earlier?

In this battle Beowulf is fighting against fate, and he knows there is a slight chance he can win this battle. He understands this battle is different from that of Grendel, he knows he is old and needs to use weapons. This monster is different, even more because it can breath fire.

· What does he say about people helping him fight the dragon?

He tells them they need to be brave enough to fight the dragon because it wont be as easy as previous battles.

· Describe the battle.

When the dragon felt Beowulf’s presence, it instantly became furious and went straight for Beowulf while breathing fire at him. Beowulf immediately struck his sword on the dragon’s tail, but it cracked, although it cut the monster, it did not do a great damage. His plan failed, and the dragon now furious kept breathing flames at Beowulf. Now Beowulf on the floor, had a ring of flames sorrounding him.

· Who is Wiglaf? What does he do? Why does he do