Answers650401 English IV S1 – POLLOCK CARRIE FIntroduction to Anglo-Saxon Literature: Beowulf

Characterization in Grendel Answers

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Read the excerpt from Grendel.I was safe in my tree, and the men who fought were nothing to me, except of course that they talked in something akin to my language, which meant that we were, incredibly, related. I was sickened, if only at the waste of it: all they killed—cows, horses, men—they left to rot or burn. I sacked all I could and tried to store it, but my mother would growl and make faces because of the stink.

A
He is weak and easily disgusted by dead animals.
B
He is careful and respectful of animal life.
C
He is cruel and disobedient to his mother’s wishes.
D
He is considerate and mindful of the fighting men.
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Read these lines from Beowulf.He realizedthat the demon was going to descend on the hall,that he had plotted all day, from dawn-lightuntil darkness gathered again over the worldand stealthy night-shapes came stealing forth under the cloud-murk.Read this excerpt from Grendel.Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry—crawling, whimpering, streaming tears, across the world like a two-headed beast, like mixed-up lamb and kid at the tail of a baffled, indifferent ewe—and I gnashed my teeth and clutched the sides of my head as if to heal the split, but I couldn’t.

A
Grendel is described as an unfeeling creature in Beowulf, but he is a sensitive and emotional character in Grendel.
B
Grendel seems comical and ridiculous in Beowulf, but he seems calm and calculating in Grendel.
C
Beowulf acts cowardly in Beowulf, but he behaves like a fearless hero in Grendel.
D
Beowulf feels sympathy for Grendel in Beowulf, but he is jealous of Grendel in Grendel.
3

Read the line from Grendel.Hrothgar met with his council for many nights and days, and they drank and talked and prayed to their curious carved-out creatures and finally came to a decision.

A
He describes the length of the men’s decision-making process.
B
He describes the way the men socialize and relax together.
C
He thinks that the men’s religious behavior is strange and interesting.
D
He thinks that Hrothgar is a strong leader who will challenge any opponent.
4

Which statements accurately contrast Beowulf and Grendel? Select 2 options.Both works are written in an Old English poetic style.Beowulf characterizes Grendel as bloodthirsty, but Grendel shows Grendel’s gentler side.Beowulf is sympathetic to the humans, while Grendel shows the monster’s perspective.Both works focus primarily on the hero, Beowulf.Beowulf is a contemporary version of an old tale, while Grendel is based on oral tradition.

A
Both works are written in an Old English poetic style.
B
Beowulf characterizes Grendel as bloodthirsty, but Grendel shows Grendel’s gentler side.
C
Beowulf is sympathetic to the humans, while Grendel shows the monster’s perspective.
D
Both works focus primarily on the hero, Beowulf.
E
Beowulf is a contemporary version of an old tale, while Grendel is based on oral tradition.
5

Which comparison of Beowulf and Grendel is most accurate?

A
Grendel is characterized as sensitive in the poem, but he is characterized as cruel in the novel.
B
Both the poem and the novel are all about Grendel; he is the main character in both stories.
C
In the poem, Grendel seems like a heartless monster, but in the novel he is emotionally complex.
D
The poem and the novel are very similar, and both characterize Grendel in the same way.
6

Which words best complete the comparison of Beowulf and Grendel?Readers of Beowulf hope that Grendel will be destroyed, but readers of Grendel are most likely to

A
hope that Beowulf will be destroyed.
B
be confused by Beowulf’s behavior.
C
understand Grendel’s perspective.
D
consider Grendel a purely evil villain.
7

Read the excerpt from Grendel.Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry—crawling, whimpering, streaming tears, across the world like a two-headed beast, like mixed-up lamb and kid at the tail of a baffled, indifferent ewe—and I gnashed my teeth and clutched the sides of my head as if to heal the split, but I couldn’t.

A
as humorous and comical
B
as violent and dangerous
C
as upset and confused
D
as weak and sickly
8

Read the line from Grendel.I was safe in my tree, and the men who fought were nothing to me, except of course that they talked in something akin to my language, which meant that we were, incredibly, related.

A
first-person narrative showing Grendel’s perspective.
B
first-person narrative showing Beowulf’s perspective.
C
third-person narrative showing many perspectives.
D
third-person narrative showing Grendel’s and Beowulf’s perspectives.
9

Read the excerpt from Grendel.Now and then some trivial argument would break out, and one of them would kill another one, and all the others would detach themselves from the killer as neatly as blood clotting, and they’d consider the case and they’d either excuse him, for some reason, or else send him out to the forest to live by stealing from their outlying pens like a wounded fox. At times I would try to befriend the exile, at other times I would try to ignore him, but they were treacherous. In the end, I had to eat them.

A
jealous
B
compassionate
C
lonely
D
practical
10

In Grendel, John Gardner uses

A
first-person point of view to help readers better understand Beowulf’s feelings.
B
first-person point of view to help readers see Grendel’s side of a familiar story.
C
third-person point of view to give greater insight into all of the characters.
D
third-person point of view to give an impartial account of a well-known event.

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