Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How is Beowulf
structured? How does this structure relate to the theme or themes
of the work as a whole?
2. Beowulf is
set in a male-dominated world full of violence and danger. What
role does patriarchal history play in this world? Why does it matter
to the warriors who their ancestors were?
3. What role
does religion play in Beowulf?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What role does the mead-hall
play in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture? What is the proper relationship
between a lord and his warriors? What examples can you find throughout Beowulf?
2. What is the role of women
in the heroic culture of Beowulf?
3. How does treasure function
in Beowulf? How do the characters and the poet
seem to feel about the element of gold, as it appears throughout
the poem?
4. What role do the digressions
play in Beowulf? What light do they shed on the
main action?
5. Is Beowulf an ideal hero and
king? Is there anything lacking in his character?
6. Would you say that the characters
in Beowulf are as psychologically complex those
in modern works of literature? Do they undergo any development as
the poem progresses?
