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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What animal is the speaker shooing away in Chapter 1?

2. What does Grendel discover after leaving the dragon?

3. Where are criminals sent to live?

4. Where does Grendel live?

5. What is the narrator’s name?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the firesnakes guard the sunken door?

2. Why is Grendel drawn to and repulsed by Hrothgar's great hall?

3. Describe the location of Grendel’s home.

4. Discuss the futility of Unferth coming to Grendel's cave and what the action says about Unferth's character.

5. Describe life around the village as Grendel observes it.

6. What is the significance of Hrothgar's name for his mead hall?

7. Describe the firesnakes. What sort of creature do you think they are?

8. Discuss the quote on page 7 where Grendel gives himself alternate names (shadow-shooter, earth-rim-roamer, walker of the world's weird wall). What does this signify?

9. Describe how the men look the very first time Grendel sees them.

10. How is the dragon’s appearance described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Use what you know of Grendel's mother and her relationship to her son to speculate about what she will do when she discovers the harm done to her son. Do you think she would be upset? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Why is Grendel given a name but the Stranger never is? How was Grendel named? Who named Grendel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Grendel's state of mind in the twelfth year of his war. Is he going crazy? Has his power over Hrothgar overwhelmed him? What does Grendel make of the war at this point?

(see the answer keys)

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