We All Have The Mark Of Cain Analysis

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We All Have the Mark of Cain
All humans have the Mark of Cain. Monsters are born among them; sometimes hidden deep within their own selves. In the epic poem Beowulf, the battle between man and monster is told. The monsters are said to have the mark of Cain; their bloodline forever punished by God for the crime of Abel’s death. The protagonist Beowulf defeats these monsters, but in some ways becomes one himself; the question then arises: Is Beowulf really a hero? However, what makes this poem so intriguing is not just the battles between hero vs. villain; but rather the poet's power of expression in using stylistic devices to synthesize his material in an appealing manner. The power is enriched by the way the poet conveys a thought or emotion using poetic diction, Christian jargon, symbolism, imagery and other devices to appeal to the reader's senses and emotions.
Strong, proud, courageous, and determined are all words that can be used to describe Beowulf. The poet who wrote Beowulf possibly had a strong Christian background, for bible jargon is used frequently throughout the poem. After Beowulf kills Grendel's mother, he describes the battle to his people referring to his enemy as “she-devil” and saying that he only …show more content…

unholy monsters is a theme in the poem Beowulf. The monster Grendel is described as “savage” with “lust for evil.” The bible jargon denotative diction of the word lust is seen in the bible to be one the biggest sins that befall men; this makes the reader see Grendel in more dark and evil light. At one point in the poem, Beowulf rips the arm of Grendel, the author describes the event using cacophonous diction, “bleeding sinews in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split;” this description of Beowulf ripping off of Grendel's arm is violent and the onomatopoeic diction of snapped and split suggests harsh sounds that the reader can both hear and visualize. With Beowulf using such violence and gore to kill Grendel is he really a

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