Question

select the correct answer.
in this excerpt from beowulf, what do the underlined words imply about shield sheafson?

so. the spear - danes in days gone by
and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness.

...

there was shield sheafson, scourge of many tribes,

a wrecker of mead - benches, rampaging among foes.

...

a foundling to start with, he would flourish later on

...

in the end each clan on the outlying coasts
beyond the whale - road had to yield to him
and begin to pay tribute. that was one good king.

a. he was a fierce warrior.

b. he took pleasure in destruction.

c. he was disliked by both friends and enemies.

d. he loathed social gatherings such as feasts.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the underlined phrases: "scourge of many tribes", "wrecker of mead - benches", "rampaging among foes" and the context of him being a king that clans yielded to. Option A: "fierce warrior" fits as these phrases show his strength in battle and dominance over enemies. Option B: The text shows his warrior actions, not that he “took pleasure in destruction” (no evidence of enjoyment). Option C: There's no info about friends disliking him, and enemies yielded, so not disliked by enemies. Option D: "wrecker of mead - benches" refers to battle, not social gatherings. So A is correct.

Answer:

A. He was a fierce warrior.