LITERATURA INGLESA II – Profa. Dra. Mª José de la Torre
EXAM
IGNORAD EL HECHO DE QUE HAYA PREGUNTAS QUE CORRESPONDEN A OTRO TEMARIO. SE TRATA
DE MOSTRAROS UN EXAMEN MODELO SIMPLEMENTE, OK? NO OS VOY A DAR EL EXAMEN HECHO,
VAYA…
NAME....................................................................................................
A. Essay: choose one (Remember to refer to the text to illustrate your
arguments) (Time: 40 mins.; 4 marks out of 10).
1. TIME: 40 minutes.
a) Discuss the symbolism of the monsters in Beowulf, and the value of their
confrontation with the “comitatus”.
b) Discuss the combination of fascination about and criticism to the warrior way
of life shown by the poets in the Old English poems studied.
c) Discuss the role of women in Beowulf as shown by the behaviour and
situations of the queens studied.
B. place in context: Identify ONE of the following passages, stating the work
they belong to and its author, as well as the relevance of each passage
within the work, which involves pointing out any remarkable features in the
extract itself, writing a short commentary on it. (Time: 20 mins.; 3 marks
out of 10).
i) He knew of hem mo legendes and lives
Than been of goode wives in the Bible.
For trusteth wel, it is an impossible* impossibility
That any clerk wol speke good of wives,
But if it be of holy saintes lives,
N’of noon other womman never the mo –
Who painted the leon, tel me, who?
By God, if wommen hadde writen stories,
As clerkes han within hir oratories,
They wolde han writen of men more wikkednesse
Than all the merk* of Adam may redresse. mark, sex
ii) “Take this cup, my noble lord, giver of treasure. Be glad, gold-friend
of warriors, and speak to the Geats with mild words, as a man
ought to do. Be gracious to the Geats, mindful to the Geats which
you now have from near and far. They have told me that you would
have the warrior for your son. Heorot is purged, the bright ring-hall.
Enjoy while you may many rewards, and leave to your kinsmen folk
and kingdom when you must go forth on the Ruler’s decree. I know
my gracious Hrothulf, that he will hold the young warriors in honour
if you, friend of the Scyldings, leave the world before him. I think he
will repay our sons with good if he remembers all the favours we
did to his pleasure and honour when he was a child.”
Then she turned to the bench where her sons were, Hrethric and
Hrothmund [….]
