1.  What ceremony is being portrayed at the start of the epic? Why do you think this ceremony is so important to the poet that he would open his work with it? 
 

2.  The beginning of the poem concerns Shield, a Danish king, who lived many years before our narrator lived. Why do you think Shield is so admired after so many years? What qualities did he possess that made him so beloved by his people? 
 

3.  From your reading of the first 60 lines or so, you should be able to determine what values this culture considers important. Please detail these values. 
 

4.  Who is Hrothgar? 
 

5.  What does Heorot mean to the Danes? What kind of a place is it, and why is it important to the development of the Danish society? Cite specific words and/or lines to support your claims 

6.  From whom is Grendel descended? What is his primary motivation? What significance might Grendel's ancestry have upon his relationship to Heorot? Cite specific words/lines that help you make this meaning 
 

7.  How do you perceive the relationship between Grendel and Heorot? Why would the building of Heorot arouse Grendel's anger? Again, please cite specific words and/or phrases in support of your answers. 
 

8.  Consider lines 170-188. How would you describe the narrator’s tone? 
 

9.  Who is Hygelac? How is Hygelac’s thane initially portrayed?