British Literature Characters and Events

Honors British Literature Final Exam Study Guide
-This obviously isn’t everything. There is some history stuff on it too- but most of those were easy.

Norse Mythology

-Thor: God of sky, thunder, fertility, associated with Asgard, son of Odin
-Freya: Goddess of love and fertility, twin of Freyr
-Loki: trickster, sly, responsible for death of Balder
-Balder: son of Odin, accidently killed by brother, Hod, after return from Ragnarok
-Odin: king of Norse Gods, god of poetry, battle, and death, “all-father”, “one-eyed”
-Frigg: Odin’s wife
-Hel: Goddess of the dead, child of Loki

-Valhalla: ruled by Odin, some that die in combat go here at death by Valkyries
-Asgard: land of Gods
-Midgard: land of men
-Hel/Nidlheim: lowest level
-Guggenheim:

Celtic Mythology

-Lugh and Bran: know who is who

Beowulf

-Beowulf: from Geatland/Sweden
-Hrothgar: king of the Danes/Denmark
-Grendel: descended from Cain, fights in Herot
-Grendel’s mother: lies in the swamp
-Dragon: guards treasure
-Unferth: Danish warrior, jealous of Beowulf
-Wiglaf: helps Beowulf fight against the dragon, successor to Beowulf

-Herot Hall: built by King Hrothgar to house his men, fight with Grendel here
-Lair/Fen: underground home of Grendel and his mother, beneath a lake in old battlehall
-Geatland: where Beowulf is from
-Denmark: setting

Macbeth

-Macbeth: thane of Glamis, Scottish general
-Lady Macbeth: lusts for power and position, commits suicide?
-Three witches: give Macbeth prophecies (Thane of Glamis, Cawdor, King)
-Banquo: whose son, according to the witches, will inherit the Scottish throne, ghost haunts Macbeth for his murder
-King Duncan: king of Scotland, Macbeth murders
-Macduff: Scottish nobleman, questions Macbeth’s kingship, becomes leader of crusade against Macbeth, family murdered, wants Malcolm as king
-Malcolm: son of Duncan, brother of Donalbain, restored to throne, threat to Macbeth
-Fleance: Banquo’s son, survives attempt of... [continues]

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