Who is the Danish king who built Heorot and sent Beowulf on his quest?

• A. Unferth
• B. Wiglaf
• C. Beowulf
• D. Hrothgar

Answer: (D)

The key idea is identifying the Danish ruler connected to Heorot and Beowulf’s mission. Heorot, the great hall that stands as the center of Danish power, is built by Hrothgar, who rules Denmark. When Grendel begins terrorizing the Danes, Hrothgar calls for help and invites Beowulf from Geatland to come and defeat the monster, effectively sending him on the quest. Beowulf accepts and travels to Denmark to confront Grendel on Hrothgar’s behalf. That makes Hrothgar the correct answer, as he is the one who built Heorot and summons the hero to aid his people. Unferth, Wiglaf, and Beowulf themselves fit other roles in the story, but they do not fulfill both parts of the prompt.