Which
character is described in these lines?
Themselves
they beheld me When I came from the contest, when covered with gore
Foes I escaped from, where five I had bound, The giant-race wasted,
in the waters destroying
It
is Beowulf speaking to Hrothgar.
I
hope it helps, Regards.
 
        
                    
             
        
        
        
The answer is...
D.) "The church will prove just as dangerous as the protest"
 
        
                    
             
        
        
        
One theme for the story The Exercise would be:
Strict teacher way in educating his student
The story tells us about a teacher that often uses corporal punishment such as caning to teach discipline to his student. 
One of the subject of this story is when a young boy is punished because rather than doing his homework himself, he asks his father to do it.
Hope this helped you out!! :)