Question

unit 1 test - version a
1 which line from beowulf makes the most use of alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words? (a) and filled the broad lap of the world (line 11) (b) because the almighty made him anathema (line 25) (c) blundering back with the butchered corpses (line 40) (d) struck again with more gruesome murders (line 51)
2 epic poems reflect the culture and time in which they are written. beowulf does this mainly by — (a) using formal syntax to show the seriousness of anglo - saxon culture (b) including long speeches that refer to events from anglo - saxon history (c) telling a story about a hero who embodies the ideals of the anglo - saxons (d) including details about the crafts and technology developed by the anglo - saxons
3 reread lines 35 - 38 from beowulf: “suddenly then/the god - cursed brute was creating havoc;/ greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men/ from their resting places and rushed to his lair” the author substitutes the name grendel with the kenning god - cursed brute in order to — (a) emphasize the depth of grendel’s evil (b) hint that grendel will soon be punished (c) explain the source of grendel’s great strength (d) suggest that grendel is emotionally tormented
4 read lines 85 - 93: “these were hard times, heart - breaking/for the prince of the shieldings; powerful counsellors,/ the highest in the land, would lend advice,/ plotting how best the bold defenders/ might resist and beat off sudden attacks./ sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed/ offerings to idols, swore oaths/that the killer of souls might come to their aid/ and save the people.” what does this description suggest about grendel’s impact on the danes? (a) they have lost hope of ever defeating grendel. (b) they are driven by the desire for revenge against grendel. (c) they are divided over how to respond to grendel’s attacks. (d) they are so desperate that they are seeking supernatural help.
5 read lines 109 - 118: “when he heard about grendel, hygelac’s thane/was on home ground, over in geatland./there was no one else like him alive./in his day, he was the mightiest man on earth,/ high - born and powerful. he ordered a boat/that would ply the waves. he announced his plan:/to sail the swan’s road and search out that king,/the famous prince who needed defenders./nobody tried to keep him from going,/no elder denied him, dear as he was to them.” what theme can be inferred from this characterization of beowulf? (a) a hero should seek to help others. (b) a leader should be physically strong. (c) the bravest people are usually of noble birth. (d) a wise person should seek advice before acting.
“the wife of bath’s tale” from the canterbury tales
6 what is the author’s purpose in including “the wife of bath’s prologue” with “the wife of bath’s tale”? (a) to maintain the frame story by showing interactions between characters (b) to explain the historical context of the long narrative that is to come (c) to entertain the reader with constant shifts in the main plot (d) to inform the reader about challenges the travelers face
7 what theme does the narrator develop in lines 320 - 338? “but gentleness, as you will recognize,/is not annexed in nature to possessions./men fail in living up to their professions;/but fire never ceases to be fire./god knows you’ll often find, if you enquire,/ some lording full of villainy and shame./if you would be esteemed for the mere name/of having been by birth a gentleman/and stemming from some virtuous, noble clan,/and do not live yourself by gentle deed/or take your father’s noble code and creed,/you are no gentleman, though duke or earl./vice and bad manners are what make a churl./“gentility is only the renown/for bounty that your fathers handed down./quite foreign to your person, not your own;/gentility must come from god alone./that we are gentle comes to us by grace/and by no means is it bequeathed with place. (a) gentlemen tend to behave badly because they are full of pride. (b) men often rise to nobility through shameful and villainous deeds. (c) true gentility cannot be inherited but comes from living virtuously. (d) noble titles are corrupting because all people should be treated equally.

Explanation:

1. Alliteration is the repetition of consonant - sounds at the beginning of words. In "blundering back with the butchered corpses", the 'b' sound is repeated, making it the line with the most alliteration among the options.
2. Beowulf is an epic poem that reflects Anglo - Saxon culture mainly by telling the story of a hero who embodies the ideals of the Anglo - Saxons.
3. The kenning "God - cursed brute" for Grendel emphasizes the depth of his evil.
4. The Danes seeking help from idols at pagan shrines shows they are so desperate that they are seeking supernatural help due to Grendel's attacks.
5. Beowulf's decision to go and help the king in need shows that a hero should seek to help others.
6. The prologue in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" helps maintain the frame - story by showing interactions between characters.
7. The lines emphasize that true gentility comes from living virtuously and is not just about birth or inherited titles.

Answer:

1. C. blundering back with the butchered corpses (line 40)
2. D. telling a story about a hero who embodies the ideals of the Anglo - Saxons
3. A. emphasize the depth of Grendel's evil
4. D. They are so desperate that they are seeking supernatural help.
5. A. A hero should seek to help others.
6. A. To maintain the frame story by showing interactions between characters
7. C. True gentility cannot be inherited but comes from living virtuously.