Beowulf+Review

Quiz Review for //Beowulf:A New Telling//

 * Directions:** Please add your answers to the following questions to help you review for your quiz over the summer reading novel //Beowulf: A New Telling// by Robert Nye, which will be given this Monday, August 20. You may also click on the discussion tab and ask or answer one another's questions about the novel.

Examine the following list of major and minor characters from the novel. Briefly explain who each one is and, if possible, describe his/her personality traits and strengths/weaknesses. It it best to include examples from the book to support your reasoning.
 * Scyld Scefing - First ruler of the Danes. The people believed that he was sent by the G-d Odin because they needed a king. He was found on a ship when he was a baby, with no one else on the ship. He was a very powerful and good man that brought peace to the Danes for years.
 * Beowulf - A man that is small but extremely strong. He thought that no one was all good or bad. He destroyed Grendel and Grendels mom. Beowulf found strength in his weaknesses, which is why he was so strong. An example is when he decided to see better than most even though his eyes were bad.
 * Hrothgar - The great-grandson of Scyld. He was the strongest of his two other brothers so he became king. He also was the one that built the hall Heorot.
 * Wealtheow - Married to Hrothgar. Very sweet, understanding, and wise.
 * Unferth- An old unhappy man. He admires Grendel and his mother, and was very upset when Grendel was destroyed. Ended up being killed by Grendel's mother. Beowulf and his men found Unferth's head in a tree. Beowulf insisted on buring the head. He was a man to be pitied because of his misguided beliefs.
 * Grendel - One of the most evil things that exists. A human- eating monster. Child of Cain. Grendel attacked the hall Heorot and killed many people. his weakness was good/light, and his strength was dark. Lurks in the fen and kills in search of blood.
 * Breca- Beowulfs friend as a child. Beowulf tells a story about Breca and him in the ocean and the bet they had for who could swim for the longest. Breca actually won the bet because he was a stronger swimmer.
 * Grendel's mother (She) - Even more worse then Grendel. She was his mother, and wife of Cain. She comes to the hall Heorot to avenge Grendels death. She kills unferth, and is killed by Beowulf.
 * Sigemund and Fitela - An uncle and a nephew. They fooled monsters when they battled them because the nephew was small and would surprise and/or distract the enemy(s) when the big uncle would finish them off.
 * Hygelac - Beowulfs uncle, and King of the Geats. Died in battle with the frieslanders.
 * Wiglaf- He was the only one that knew how Beowulf actually died. He said "Beowulf was Beowulf." at the end of the book. He also admired Beowulf.

Skim the following sets of chapters and list the important events in the order in which they occur.
 * Chapter 1-2 Scyld Scefing became king of the Danes and created peace. After his death and his sons death, his grandson, Hrothgar became king. Heorot was built. Grendel came from the Fen and ate the King's bodyguard.
 * Chapter 3-4 Hrothgar and nine warlords "fought" grendel. Hrothgar only managed to escape with his life because there wasa good in Wealthow and she got between him and Grendel. Beowulf came to Heorot to fight Grendel.
 * Chapter 5-7 Beowulf tells the story of him and Breca, and he kills Grendel. The of Hrothgar's courts tell the story of sigemund and fitela.
 * Chapter 8-9 Grendel's Mother takes Unferth and Grendel's arm into the Fen, and Unferth kills Aeschere. Beowulf finds Unferth's head and has it buried. He dives into the pool where Grendel's mother is.
 * Chapter 10-11 Beowulf killed Grendel's mother. Beowulf also slices off Grendel's head and brings it back to Heorot.
 * Chapter 12-14 Beoulf sailed home. Hygelac and Hardred were both king's, and were killed in battle. Beowulf was made king. Beowulf had Hardred revenged, and a slave made a Firedrake (Fire dragon) angry.
 * Chapter 15-16 The Firedrake attacked the Geats. Beowulf killed the Firedrake and died of old age.

At the end of the novel, one of the characters states "Beowulf was Beowulf" and will not elaborate. What do they mean by that? -I think that Beowulf was always being himself and looking at things in a different way. He also has a lot of wisedom but doesn't brag. He only thought of himself as the bee hunter. ~S.P

Is Beowulf a hero in this novel? If so, how? - Beowulf was a hero. Not only did he fight monsters, but it was how he did it that made him amazing. He fought without any weapons but himself. Which turns out to be the best weapon of all. He had wisedom that made him think between the lines. He never bragged about any of his acomplishments. He had the most fun just being with the bees. He admitted he had some bad in him when some people would not. This made him an extremely strong and big person, even though he is short on the outside. ~S.P -Beowulf was a hero in this novel because he only fought when he needed to and it was for the good of others. He didn't care about money and fortune. Bees, the greater good, and peace were just about the only things that he cared about. Beowolf also rid the Danes of two terrible evils.~D.O.