| A | B |
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| Why is the Angle-Saxon period usually dated from 449? | it starts from the first invasion of Britain |
| Who occupied the British Isles before the coming of the Anglo-Saxons? | the Britons |
| Why has so little Anglo-Saxon poetry survived? | poem were not written down and they did not survive |
| What function was performed by the scop? | tribal historian, he made and sang poetry of tribal events and folklore |
| What are the two major traditions of Anglo-Saxon poetry? | heroic and elegiac |
| With what work is Bede associated? | A History of the English Church and People |
| What event brought the Anglo-Saxon period to a close? | Norman Conquest in 1066 |
| Who defeated the Anglo-Saxons? | Normans |
| T/F The Anglo-Saxon civilization gave us the calendar of the days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, etc. | True |
| Beowulf is an epic in heroic tradition, and it focuses upon ___ of a central hero. | bravery |
| Before Alfred of Wessex, the poetry was written in which language? | Latin |
| What is an epic? | A long narrative telling about the deeds of a hero |
| What are the characteristics of an epic? | . the battle between good and evil, 2. superhuman feats of bravery, and 3. loyalty to one’s king and leader |
| Who is identified as Grendel’s ancestor? | Cain |
| For how long does Grendel terrorize the Danes? | Twelve years |
| Why is Grendel unable to attack King Hrothgar? | Hrothgar’s throne is protected by God |
| Who is Higlac’s follower? | Beowulf |
| Beowulf accuses Unferth of a terrible crime. What is it? | Unferth murdered his own relatives |
| Who is Welthow? | Hrothgar’s queen |
| Why are weapons useless against Grendel? | Grendel is protected by magic |
| What happens to the dragon’s treasure? | It is buried in the earth |
| What monument is built to Beowulf’s memory? | A tower by the sea |
| What is a kennings? | A metaphorical phrase used instead of a name—Grendel is called “shepherd of evil” |
| What do the kennings refer to: whale - road, sea paths, God’s bright beacon, Heaven high arch | Sea, water routes, sun, sky |
| Shild, father of Beo and great grandfather of Hrothgar, was king of the | Danes |
| Shild’s body was gloriously | Sent out to sea |
| Herot, Hrothgar’s greet hall, is built to withstand everything except | fire |
| Grendel lives in | The marsh and moor |
| When Grendel begins killing Hrothgar’s men, they | Abandon Herot |
| Beowulf kills Grendel with | His bare hands |
| Beowulf comes to Hrothgar’s kingdom to | Fight Grendel and prove his heroism |
| Which of the following is not quality of Beowulf’s that comes out in the story? | compassion |
| The central conflict of the story is between | Good and evil |
| Whom does Grendel’s mother kill | Hrothgar’s best friend |
| Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother with | A sword |
| What trophy does Beowulf take after he kills Grendel’s mother? | Grendel’s claw |
| The fire dragon is awakened by | A thief |
| Beowulf goes out to fight the fire dragon because | It is terrorizing the Geats |
| When Beowulf is dying, he asks the Geats to | Build a tower in his honor |
| The gold and jewels Beowulf and Wiglaf take from the dragon are | Left in Beowulf’s tomb |
| T/F When he goes out to fight Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is given a sword by one of Hrothgar’s courtiers. | true |
| T/F In the battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf’s life is saved by the armor he wears. | true |
| T/f Beowulf needs help to kill the fire dragon. | false |
| T/False Wiglaf is Beowulf’s son | true |
| When Beowulf hears about the fire dragon, he believes that | He must have broken God’s law |
| Which of the following is not an indication of a stereotypical trait of Beowulf’s? | He blames himself for the dragon’s evil |
| Why does Beowulf want Wiglaf to bring him the jewels from the dragon’s castle? | He wants the comfort of seeing the prize he has won |
| When Grendel enters the hall, he thinks that | All the Geats are asleep |
| When Beowulf grabs Grendel, Grendel realizes tat Beowulf is | The strongest man he has ever met |
| Grendel calls for help from | His mother |
| According to Grendel, which of the following is most responsible for the outcomes of his battle with Beowulf? | An accident |
| During the fight, Beowulf forces Grendel to | sing |
| T/f Grendel is the speaker in the passage Grendel. | true |
| T/f Grendel’s last words are meant as a threat or warning. | true |
| T/f In this version of the story, Grendel takes Beowulf by surprise. | false |
| T/f In this version of the story, Grendel implies his mother is already dead. | true |
| T/f In this version of the story, Grendel is numb with terror when he first walks in the hall. | false |
| “the world’s honor ages and shrinks” contains an example of | metaphor |
| The poem suggests that the speaker in “ The Seafarer” | That he is no longer strong enough to go to sea |
| The phrase “hardship groaned” in the poem “ The Seafarer” is an example of | personification |
| T/F The seafarer was really a pirate. | false |
| T/F The speaker in “ The Seafarer” suggests that all of life is like a sea journey. | true |
| T/F The speaker in “ The Seafarer” says that all who go to sea are sometimes afraid. | true |
| T/F In the poem “ The Seafarer” important religious themes are presented in the first third of the poem. | false |
| Before he dies, Beowulf wishes to see | The dragon’s treasure “This last of all prizes.” |
| What is the implication of Beowulf wanting to see the dragon’s treasure? | The lust for gold is ultimately destructive of all men, even kings and heroes |
| How does Beowulf defeat Grendel | Beowulf kills Grendel, kills Grendel’s mother, and then beheads Grendel |
| Why is Beowulf celebration so brief | He has to fight the dragon |
| In “The Seafarer” what is the attitude of the narrator toward the past | he says that the present is a weak reflection of the past; all glory is tarnished |
| What is the ending statement of the narrator of “Seafarer” toward man’s goal.. | Strive to have eternal glory with God; the speaker praise eternal God and his glory |
| In the poem “The Wanderer, “what is the presence of Christian and pre-Christian references in both poems, and what are the reason for both being present. | The wanderer is similar to Adam’s exile out of the Garden of Eden |
| What is the reason why the wanderer is wandering. | He is looking for a new lord and dreamng of better days. |
| In “The Seafarer” what is the attitude of the speak toward the sea? | He loves the journey and the adventure even though the sea is cold and hard |
| What are the images in The Wanderer? | They are wintry images—wintry sea, icy waves |
| What is the author’s tone in The Wanderer? | Sad, melancholy, resigned |
| Why did the wanderer leave his home and embark on the sea voyage? | After the death of his protector, he went looking for another protector or lord. |
| The attitude of the tavern-knave toward Death is one of | respect |
| The tavern-knave claims that the best attitude to take toward Death is to | Be careful of him |
| At first, the attitude of the three rioters toward Death is one of | superiority |
| As the rioters go out on their search, their language is | Bold, profane, boastful |
| Which of the following reflects the old man’s attitude toward dying? | yearning |
| The old man scolds the three rioters for their | disrespect |
| The three rioters believe that the old man is | Death’s spy |
| Which of the three rioters commits murder? | All of them |
| Death defeats the three rioters by appealing to their | greed |
| How does the Pardoner describe his own character and morals in his Prologue? | He admits he is greedy |
| According to the Pardoner’s Tale, why are the three rioters looking for death? | They want to kill him |
| What does the old man tell the three rioters? | He tells them that they’ll find Death under a nearby tree |
| How do the three rioters treat the old man? | They treat him roughly and scornfully |
| What plan do the rioters form together? | After they discover the pile of gold coins, the rioters decides that the youngest should go to town for food and drink. |
| Explain this plan that the three rioters plan | The plan for two men to stay behind and guard the treasure until nightfall. Then the three of them will carry the gold away. However, the two left behind decide to murder the youngest when he returns. This way, they will have two people to split the gold. In town, the youngest rioter forms a plan to kill the other two with poisoned win. He thinks he will have the gold for himself. |
| Explain how it proves fatal to the three men. | When the youngest man returns, the other two swiftly kill him. Then they sit down and eat and drink. When they drink the poisoned wine, they die. |
| After the Pardoner finishes his tale, why does a quarrel arise between him and the Host? Who patches up the quarrel? | The Host refuses to buy a pardon or to kiss the Pardoner’s ring |
| How do the little tavern knave and the publican use personification to describe Death? | The tavern knave describes Death as a thief. Later the publican says that Death has killed many people in the village. He thinks that Death lives around the area. |
| Explain how the rioters’ responses to the personification is ironic? | The idea of “killing” Death is ironic |
| What do you think the poor old man symbolizes? | The poor old man symbolizes Death |
| How many layers of irony can you identify in this tale? | The rioters did literally find Death under the tree, though their greed for the gold. It is ironic that their plots backfired and lead to their destruction. |
| Describe the contrast between the ethics of the Pardoner as described in the Prologue and the moral of the sermon he preaches? | The moral of the Pardoner's sermon is that greed is the root of all evil; ironically, the Pardoner lives by greed. |
| Is the Pardoner truly evil? | yes he is greedy from the beging |
| What is Chaucer satirizing in the Pardoner’s Tale? | Chaucer seems to be satirizing greed, pride, and violence |
| What moral does the Pardoner want us to draw from his tale? | He wants us to draw the moral that greed may lead to death and destruction |
| What moral do you think Chaucer wants you to draw from the whole story of the Pardoner? | From the story of the Pardoner, we may take the message that crooks and hypocrites sometimes are disguised in clothing of honest people |
| What has the Wanderer learned about sorrow and misfortune? | The Wanderer has learned that human beings who desire honor should veil their sorrow, for misfortune is inevitable in this life |
| Why did the Wanderer leave his home and embark on the sea voyage? | After the death of his lord, the Wanderer left home and embarked on a voyage to find another king who would be willing to serve as his protector |
| What happier memories does the Wanderer recall? | The Wanderer recalls memories of his youth, when he was happy in the hall with his lord and his companions |
| What mournful events does he describe? | The Wanderer describes the death of his lord, his own endless voyaging, the loss of his kin and friends, the decay of battlements and wine-halls, and the death of his proud host |
| How does the Wanderer describe a wise man? | He says that a wise man is patient, even tempered, not hasty of speech, not greedy, and not eager to make vows that he may not be able to keep |
| Would you describe the Wanderer’s tone as resigned, ironic, bitter, or self-pitying? | It is bitter or harshly ironic |
| What symbolic meaning do you think this wandering exile might have? | To Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden |
| What passages explain why the Seafarer seeks the rigors of the sea rather than the delight of the land? | The speaker dislikes the “passion of cities, swelled proud with wine.” |
| According to the speaker of the Seafarer, what are the three threats of fate? | Illness, age, and death from an enemy’s sword |
| How does the speaker contrast the present state of the world with the past? | The present is a pale reflection of the past; men have grown old and weak and “all glory is cherished” |
| What prayer concludes the poem? | The speaker praises God, the creator of earth |
| What scene does he describe? | The speaker describes himself on watch on the bow of a ship in a wintry sea |
| The seafarer was really a pirate. | false |
| The world’s honor ages and shrinks contains an example of a | metaphor |
| The Seafarer complains | That a better world which once existed has somehow been lost |
| The poem suggests the speaker | Loves the sea despite its dangers and difficulties |
| The speaker draws a contrast between | Winter and spring |
| The phrase hardship groaned is an example of | personification |
| The Seafarer suggests that all of life is like a sea journey. | true |
| The Seafarer says that all who go to sea are sometimes afraid. | true |
| Importance religious themes are presented in the first third of the poem | true |
| In the Prologue the speaker of the poem is the Host. | false |
| In the Prologue the Pilgrims are on their way to Canterbury. | true |
| In the Prologue the squire is the son of the Knight. | true |
| In the Prologue it is the Host’s idea to have a story-telling contest. | true |
| In the Prologue the winner of the contest is to be paid in gold. | false |
| In the Prologue each Pilgrim has 4 chances to win the contest. | true |
| In the Prologue anyone who fails to tell his or her stories must the pay the cost of the journey. | true |
| In the Prologue the Host stays behind to prepare a welcome for the Pilgrims. | false |
| Knight | Follows the code of chivalry, has fought in many battles, Christian, wise, modest, in his work cloths. perfect, selfless hero |
| Squire | Son of the knight, romantic lover, 20 years old |
| Prioress, Nun | Spoke daintily in French, she liked to keep clean. |
| Franklin | Gluttony, eats and drinks his bread is white. Mad his house free to all the country. His bread and ale were finest of the fine. His food was the finest. |
| Skipper | Cruelty; He is not a good horseman; drinks, steals and doesn’t live by rules. |
| Doctor | Dishonesty; believes gold is good for the heart; practiced astronomy to cure patients |
| Miller | He cheats by weigh grain on the scale by putting his thumb on it. Wart on his nose. |
| Summoner | Had a red face. He had carbuncles, his eyes were narrow. He liked onions, leeks and drinking strong red wine. He would say words in latin when drunk. |
| Plowman | The Plowman is brother of the Parson. He is honest, good, industrious, and charitable. |
| Reeve | Served as a superintendent of estate, responsible for the crops and animals. He is cheating and taking profits for himself |
| Oxford Clerk | Poor starving scholar, he spent money what ever he got from his friends he spent on books. |
| Parson | Parson gives to the poor. The Parson is a true follower of Christ. |
| Near the beginning of the Prologue, the narrator reveals that his main motivation for making the Pilgrimage is | Religious devotion |
| In general, the attitude of the characters toward the pilgrimage is one of | enthusiasm |
| When the narrator says of the Summoner, “You’d meet none better if you went to find one, he is | Being sarcastic |
| Which of the following pairs of characters does the narrator admire most? | The Parson and the Knight |
| Of the following characters, which is portrayed as being dainty? | The Pardoner |
| To win the contest proposed by the host, a pilgrim must tell the story that is judged to be the | Most pleasing and uplifting |
| What does the host suggest as a prize for the best story? | A supper paid for by all of the Pilgrims |
