“They traded deaths, / Danes and monsters, and no one had won” (ll. 1304–1305). Essentially, both the humans and the monsters are responsible for the deaths throughout the poem Beowulf. However, humanity often praises itself for the people and creatures it kills. They declare it a good by justifying the reason behind the murders. Meanwhile, the monsters are harshly judged, and even killed, because of the people they kill. Regardless of the fact that both sides are responsible for the deaths in Beowulf, the humans are praised for doing good while the monsters are demonized. The numerous deaths throughout the poem Beowulf can be attributed to both the humanity and the monsters. The humans, for example, are responsible for the deaths of entire …show more content…
Grendel, for example, is described by the Danes as a creature who is “so set/ on murder that no crime could… quench his lust for evil” (ll. 135–137). The only reason anyone has this opinion on Grendel is because he has been attacking Herot for twelve years, taking sleeping soldiers and eating them. In a way, Grendel is successful in a war against the Geats; yet he is viciously murdered by Beowulf for winning this war. If the Beowulf had appreciated Grendel’s success in this war, as he does with his human allies, then he wouldn’t have killed the creature. Likewise, when Grendel’s mother kills Esher, she is also villainized and murdered for her actions. She’s described by the Geats as “a second hungry/ Fiend, determined to avenge the first, A monster more willing and more than able/ To bring [the Geats] more sorrow” (ll. 1338–1341). In this quote, humanity belittles Grendel’s mother based purely on the fact that she tried to avenge the death of her son. The Geats, however, immediately turn around an declare that they are going to exact revenge on Grendel’s mother for killing Esher. This revenge results in Grendel’s mother’s death. Once again, if the Geats had treated her need for revenge the same they treated their own, Grendel's mother wouldn’t have been killed. Similar to both Grendel and Grendel’s mother, the dragon is also depicted as an evil …show more content…
[The Geats] watched in horror/ As the flames rose up: the angry monster meant to leave nothing alive. And the signs/ Of its anger flickered and glowed in the darkness, Visible for miles, tokens of its hate/ And its cruelty, spread like a warning to the Geats/ Who had broken its rest” (ll. 2312–2319).
This passage emphasizes how the Geats viewed the dragon, who was simply trying to retrieve a stolen cup, as an angry merciless monster who would stop at nothing to kill them all. To them, there is nothing eviler than a creature that destroys everything from their homes to their lives. Yet, that is the exact method that many of the warrior kings use to conquer neighboring towns. In essence, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are all harshly judged by humanity to be evil creatures because of the death they
The dragon is portrayed as the undefeatable evil. He is nearly invincible, breathes fire, and manages to fatally wound the ultimate hero of the poem. This makes him the ultimate evil Although Beowulf does defeat the dragon, the battle ends in a tie, since both sides perish, which shows the never ending balance between the two extremes: good and evil. The theme of loyalty is also explored here. When the battle between Beowulf and the dragon first begins, “[his] hand-picked troop/ broke ranks and ran for their lives” (1129). This is a common archetype that allows the hero to face the antagonist alone, all while having assistance during the journey leading up to the final battle. The author used this to emphasize the Anglo-Saxon belief of fate. Beowulf was supposed to face the dragon alone, thus his comrades had to disappear. The two ways to do this would have been to have Beowulf go alone, which would conflict with the belief of Warrior Culture, or portray his allies as cowards which would also help reinforce the Anglo Saxon values regarding courage. Thus by adding in the archetype of the cowardly allies, the author creates an emphasis on the important parts of Anglo-Saxon culture without relying on
Throughout the novel, this monster, Grendel, seems confused as to whether he wants to view life like his existentialistic dragon mentor, or like the ignorantly optimistic humans on which he feeds. At times he is captivated by the romantic songs of the Shaper, and feels no desire to kill, while at others he thrives on the "knowledge" of the dragon, and goes on bloody rampages. At one point during Grendel's insecure state, the dragon tells him something that changes his outlook, and gives him a new feeling of self-worth.
In literature, monsters are often used to symbolize characteristics in humans. In the poem Beowulf, monsters are used to symbolize destructive behavior in humans. In the case of Hrothgar and Beowulf, their pride causes them to become selfish. Pride often makes people lose focus of their priorities and that can make their selfishness get out of control, and lead to destructive behavior.
In contrast, Beowulf is seen as a hero, even when exemplifying the violent and dangerous qualities the dragon is feared for. Anglo-Saxon society prized loyalty, personal valor, and fame. In order to be a hero, one must recognize the need to act, and not shy away from it. The dragon, based on that definition, embodies the Anglo-Saxon idea of a hero: it is loyal to its cause, it is a good warrior, and it recognizes the need to act. It even has a sense of justice and a sense of wrong, shown by the way it reacted to the theft of the chalice. The dragon becomes vengeful and defensive, using cruelty as a means to correct the wrong. Described as “the guardian of the mound” (2302), the dragon’s intent is identical to Beowulf’s. Beowulf is seen as a hero not only because of his actions, but because he is human. The only thing that makes the dragon different is its inhuman qualities, and therefore it is a monster, a “ground-burner” (2713). Heroism in Anglo-Saxon society is a concept embodied by warriors and guardians, who would vie to be the most well-known. Heroism, to the Anglo-Saxons, is an excuse to use cruelty as a way to further one’s fame. It is a social crutch of sorts, leaned on for the vain chance to be immortal. When Beowulf agrees to fight the dragon, it is to have a heroic death, so he may be remembered. In the battle, just as with Grendel and Grendel’s mother,
An innocent, joyless, outcast lurks in the depths of the earth. He is feared by all due to his violent behavior and thirst for humans. Stories about this monster stretch across lands, intriguing the one and only Beowulf. In this notorious Epic, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Grendel is the Frankenstein of this poem, the Joker of this time period, the Lord Voldemort of this book. Basically, Grendel is the villain and when there’s a villain there’s a hero. Our hero today is Beowulf, who challenges Grendel and he trounced not only Grendel but Grendel’s mother as well. Not only are Grendel and his mother villains but they also played the role of being the outcast/scapegoat. Symbolically they play the role
There are three prominent monsters in the Beowulf text, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. While the dragon proves to be the most fatale of foes for Beowulf, Grendel and his mother do not simply pose physical threats to the Germanic society; their roles in Beowulf are manifold. They challenge the perceptions of heroism, a sense of unrivalled perfection and superiority. Moreover, they allow the reader to reconsider the gender constructs upheld within the text; one cannot help but feel that the threat that these monsters present is directed towards the prevalent flaws in Beowulf’s world. Moreover, what makes these monsters is not their physical appearance; it is what they embody. Both Grendel and his mother have humanlike qualities yet their monstrous appearance arises from what their features and mannerisms represent. The challenge they pose to societal paradigms makes them far more terrifying to our heroes than any scaled flesh or clawing hand. These monsters provide the ‘most authoritative general criticism […] of the structure and conduct of the poem’. Their presence provides contrast and criticism of the brave society (Heaney 103).
In many European traditions, dragons are viewed as villains because they represent the antithesis of a good king. Good kings share their wealth; dragons hoard it. However the dragon’s actions against society in Beowulf can be justified. After Beowulf becomes the ruler of Geatland and all seems well and peaceful, the dragon enters the story. His appearance is provoked: one day while the dragon quietly guards his ancient hoard, an unnamed Danish slave manages to enter the hidden lair and awaken the dragon’s dormant rage.
The author makes evident what the evil is in the poem Beowulf. The evil dragon’s in Beowulf would be Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the final dragon who took Beowulf’s life. The author introduces Grendel in the beginning of the Poem. Grendel is the mon...
The Dragon tries to convince Grendel that the humans are bad people and that he should kill them because of their actions. He attempts to persuade Grendel that he shouldn’t be what the Shaper says. “ Ah, Grendel” he said. He seemed that instant almost rise to pity. “ You improve them, my boy! Can’t you see that yourself? You stimulate them! You make them think and scheme. You drive them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are for as long as they last. You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves” (Gardner 72). This specific quotation proves the idea of the negative influence the Dragon has on Grendel because it states that Grendel is the force which humans must kill to destroy him and prove who they are. It is basically stating that the humans are out to get Grendel and it brings Grendel in the direction of being mean. “ I discovered that the Dragon had put a charm on me: no weapon could cut me. I could walk up to the mead hall whenever i pleased, and they were powerless. My heart became darker because of that. Though I scorned them, sometimes hated them, there had been something between myself and men where we could fight. Now, invulnerable, I was as solitary as one live tree in a vast landscape of coal” (Gardner 75-76). Grendel talks
Grendel's negative view of the world stems from the Dragon due to their close compani...
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” At the sound of these words, Wiglaf and Olga sealed their love with a kiss. Nothing could ruin that happy day. So Wiglaf, his new wife Olga, and the rest of the Geats went to celebrate the happy couple. Just as the party was winding down, the Franks and Swedes, having formed an alliance against the Geats, bombarded into the celebration. This was considered an act of war to the Geats. War broke out between the two parties. For two years they fought until they reached a stalemate where nobody was winning. The Geats fell into despair until Wiglaf and Olga announced the birth of their first child: a son named Beowulf Jr. in honor of the past king. For seventeen years the war raged on. Beowulf Jr. longed to
Revenge is presented both as an honest motive and a rhetorical tactic in Beowulf. For Beowulf himself, reprisal of monsters’ misdeeds is his path to the top: worldwide fame, endless wealth, and universal respect. Grendel’s violence is caused less by revenge than by complete frustration with his situation. Other characters’ actions are fueled directly by a sincere desire for a settling of scores. Grendel’s mother kills Aeschere solely because Beowulf killed Grendel. The last monster that the Hero of the Geats ever faces has only one goal: to guard his hoard of treasure. When his fortune is pilfered, revenge is the dragon’s only way to react. While revenge is a common façade in Beowulf, some characters feel an honest need for retribution and seek it to their life’s end.
For example, the dragon, the “old harrower of the dark,” represents a dark, demonic force who seeks “heathen gold,” which is basically corrupted gold used for men’s selfish purposes (2271, 2276). When the dragon torments the Geats after the slave steals the cup, Beowulf thinks he may have “thwarted ancient ordinance of the eternal lord,” and because the hoard could only be touched by one whom “God Himself...allowed some person pleasing to Him—and in His eye worthy—to open the hoard,” therefore, the slave must have been God’s tool to open the hoard and unleash the dragon upon the Geats (2329-2331). Beowulf had, in some way, been led off the kingly path and disturbed God, whom he had served fifty winters ago in the fight with Grendel, Cain’s descendant. Although there are many fictional aspects from Germanic folklore which the narrator pulls from, such as the dragon guarding a hoard, the mention of the ancient, rich civilization defeated by war prior to Geatland isn’t outlandish or inflated. The narrator uses the image of the last survivor of the ancient civilization wandering the earth alone to draw a parallel between himself and this last survivor, both who were the “only one[s] to tell the
Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth.
After Beowulf kills Grendel he goes after his mother because if Grendel was a descendant of Cain so was she. She did not do anything that was not reasonable. The Danes killed her son so she sought out revenge for killing her son. So the Danes found where the evil witch was living and attacked her. Beowulf killed the witch because she was evil just like Grendel. Since Grendel and his mother were descendants of Cain they were considered evil, and monsters. They were killed for honor and for Beowulf’s reputation. Later on in Beowulf’s life he encounters a fire breathing demon that was awoken by a thief that stole a goblet from the greedy beast. The dragon was seeking revenge on whoever took his goblet and was killed for it. The dragon was ugly and looked different than that of Geats so it was considered evil, and because it was destroying homes Beowulf killed the monster. The dragon was being prejudiced against because it was seeking revenge. It was angered that someone stole from him so it punished anybody and everybody that was nearby. Both Grendel's mom and the dragon were killed because they sought revenge for something that the Geats