Just like Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are considered the beginning points of Greek Literature, the epic Beowulf is considered the starting point of English Literature. It is the fantastic tale of a larger-than-life hero, Beowulf, who leads men, defeats monsters, slays armies and unites a kingdom.

This raises a few preliminary questions you need to research and answer. Search high and low, using whatever ethical means necessary to answer these questions. Make sure you cite your sources in your responses:

1. Who wrote Beowulf?

2. How were stories and news items shared before the writing of Beowulf?

3. When was Beowulf written?

4. When does the story take place?

5. Many experts cite theological discrepancies in Beowulf. What are they and why do they exist?

6. What is mead, and what was the function of a mead hall in Norse society?

7. Where would you go if you wished to read an original transcript of Beowulf? How many are available for your reading pleasure?

8. Why is Beowulf important?

9. What are the characteristics of an epic poem and an epic hero?

10. Why is one of the earliest identifiable forms of English language literature a Scandinavian story?

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