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examine beowulf as a classical epic
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Gen Ito
Battles of Beowulf – Good vs. Evil
For a hero, every fight has a challenge and carries significance. In movies, there is always the antagonist that comes to destroy, for example: earth, and then there is the protagonist that saves the day. During the fight, both the protagonist and the antagonist have challenges that they have to overcome. It is always harder for the protagonist, and in the end is the result of the fight and its significance to the story. In the epic poem Beowulf, the same guideline is followed. It is about the battles and glory that Beowulf has in his life. It plays out three major battles between Beowulf - the good, and the monsters - the evil. These monsters – Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon, all have similarities
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Grendel is a monster who is the descendent of Cain. He becomes a true monster when he was exiled for killing his own brother. “…he had dwelt for a time / in misery among the banished monsters, /….For the killing of Abel / the Eternal Lord had exacted a price” (Beowulf 104-108). The reason why he attacks people is because of the jealous feelings and his notion that he was not being treated fairly. The battle with Grendel took place at the mead hall. When Beowulf first arrives to help out the Danes, he has a boast and states how he is going to defeat Grendel. “…unarmed he shall face me / if face me he dares” (Beowulf 684-685). This shows how courageous and how he stays true to his own words. He fights Grendel in hand-to-hand combat and is able to defeat him, just like he said. Although Beowulf is able to defeat Grendel, he could not have done it without the assist from his men. “Time and again, / Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend / their lord’s life, laying about them / as best they could with their ancestral blades” (793-796). This is significant in that it shows the amount of respect people have for Beowulf. The fight with Grendel is significant in many ways. It symbolizes the trust and reliability that people can now have on Beowulf, seeing that he is able to defeat the demon that was wreaking havoc in their town. It also reveals to the reader and the Danes about Beowulf’s extraordinary strength- …show more content…
One similarity is that in both fights, Beowulf received aid from others. In the fight with Grendel, as mentioned before, Beowulf’s men had assisted him, leading them to victory. For the fight with the Dragon, Beowulf had aid from Wiglaf. “Next thing, they say, the noble son of Weohstan / saw the king in danger at his side / and displayed his inborn bravery and strength” (2694-2696). Wiglaf is the only warrior that stays and actually fights alongside Beowulf. He plays a significant role in the defeat of the Dragon by getting Beowulf out of near death situations. Another similarity is that after both battles, Beowulf set a reputation that is beyond anyone else. After the victory against Grendel, King Hrothgar stated in his thank you message “So now, Beowulf, / I adopt you in my heart as a dear son. / Nourish and maintain this new connection, / you noblest of men…” (945-948). Hrothgar means that Beowulf is now considered as one of Hrothgar’s noble men because of his accomplishment. This reputation of Beowulf builds up even more after his death, fighting and defeating the Dragon. “They said that of all the kings upon the earth / he was the man most gracious and fair-minded, / kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (3180-3182). This shows the level of glory that Beowulf has received from his positive actions throughout his life. He has all of the
We have a concrete hero character in Beowulf, and a concrete villain in Grendel. We see this as a theme throughout the epic poem. The dichotomy of good versus evil is the fundamental backbone of this piece of literature. It is so significant due to the fact that everything that happens in this book is someway related to good versus evil. If Beowulf wasn’t so good at heart, he would not even be enticed to leave his homeland and go help the danes. Without the drive in Beowulf 's heart to do what is right, all of his heroic moments of glory would not exist. Once this is pointed out to the reader, it becomes so clear that one could wonder why the book isn 't just named: “Beowulf, a Story of Good vs. Evil.”.
In each battle Beowulf acts to avenge what has been done to other people. Beowulf fights Grendel because Grendel attacks the mead-hall and kills the people inside the hall. The only reason Beowulf goes after Grendel’s mother is because Hrothgar pleads with Beowulf to right the death of his friend by killing Grendel’s mother. Lastly, Beowulf goes after the dragon because it has attacked his kingdom and he must protect his people. Beowulf goes into battle to protect and avenge not because he likes it. Beowulf never denies a battle but instead accepts each challenge thrown his way. In every battle Beowulf is able to defeat the monster and become victorious. He manages to rid the people of the threat in every situation and bring peace back to the kingdom. While there are similarities between the battles, each battle has its own
Beowulf begins with Grendel attacking the Danes out of vengeance and hatred. Grendel is the relative of Cain which means that he is outcast to eternal darkness as punishment for the crime of Cain killing his brother Abel. Therefore, when Grendel hears laughter in the hall named Heorot, he is angry and a little envious, so he goes on a killing spree in order to put an end to the warriors’ happiness. Because of Grendel’s attack upon the Danes, Beowulf arrives in order to put an end to the killing spree: “And now alone I shall settle affairs with Grendel the monster, the demon” (Donaldson, p.8). The author offers no other solution to solving this issue with Grendel but battle, and after the battle is fought and Beowulf wins, Grendel’s hand is preserved as a trophy. Beowulf is rewarded with gifts for his courage, and now the Danes are at peace.
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.
The first fight depicted in the poem is between Beowulf and Grendel, who is described as a “cruel spirit” and an “unhappy being” (102-4). Grendel is a monster descended from Cain (106-7), who murdered his brother and was condemned by God. Grendel attacks the Hrothgar’s kingdom because he is envious the joyfulness of Hrothgar’s mead hall (86-99), thus Grendel represents envy. Beowulf fights Grendel without neither weapon nor armour because he is fair and brave. He fights against Grendel to save other people, not because of any personal gain, which shows his generosity and. He believes in God and thus is worthy of his strength. Beowulf is considered the strongest man on earth, therefore he does not envy. As a result, Beowulf easily wins the fight and kills Grendel (808-814). This first fight shows that there are similarities between Christian heroism and pagan heroism. Even though Beowulf is a pagan, his courage, kindness and aversion towards envy are eviden...
While fighting the Dragon Beowulf shows feats of strength and courage that define him as a hero. The classical hero displays a special quality that separates him from the rest of
In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.
Through Beowulf’s battles against those three evil monsters, Grendel, Gendel’s mother and the fierce dragon, exposes the major theme in the epic, “Good vs. Evil”. Beowulf, the epic hero remains loyal to his kingdom and his people. He performs God’s duty to eliminate all the evil forces in order to save God’s people. His victories on Grendel and his mother show the power of goodness prevails evil. Even though he sacrifices himself, the evil dragon is killed in the end. His heroic death is fulfilled with glory and praise. Work Cited Beowulf. Trans. by Burton
In the beginning of the novel, Beowulf takes interest in the plight of Hrothgar, King of Denmark, and wants to help him fight Grendel. Grendel is a large monster that has been harassing members in the mead-hall of the Heorot. Beowulf owes Hrothgar a favor, due to the fact that Hrothgar saved his father in years past. Hrothgar is honored to have Beowulf attempt to fight the swamp monster, and decides to hold a feast in his name. When Grendel shows up to the feast, Beowulf illustrates his bravery by fighting Grendel without any armor. When Beowulf wins the battle by ripping Grendel’s arm off, everyone in the mead-hall praises Beowulf for his acts of courage. In this scene, Beowulf proves that he is a hero by fighting off a monster that everyone else was afraid of. This made him look
He was looking for a way to become known, so he arrived with his fellow Geats to help the Danes. Beowulf had access to many weapons, armor, and warriors, but he still decided to take on the deadly challenge alone and without protection. He doesn’t think of the consequences, or abilities of the opponent. “‘When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel.’” (47: 677-678). Beowulf is overconfident in his abilities, and doesn’t take into consideration how many people Grendel has killed. He goes in with his own men not expecting to see him again. “None of them expected he would ever see his homeland again.” (47: 691-692). This is why the inner threat of Beowulf was more barbaric. Grendel was indeed a worthy opponent, and very dangerous, but Beowulf’s careless actions could have
Once upon a time, in a land far away, the clash between good and evil resided in the heart of every story. From oral tales of the Anglo-Saxon period, to the novels of today, heavenly heroes versus menacing monsters have weaved stories throughout time. For example, in the the epic poem, Beowulf, the warriors and heroes, like Beowulf and Wiglaf, represent the good within the story. The creatures, such as Grendel and the dragon, illustrate the evil. The settings also portray both sides as well, with examples being Herot and The Lair. Good and evil are represented in many ways in Beowulf, and each of those ways gives a message regarding one of them to the reader.
The clashes between humans do not directly involve him. He at times argues with humans, but Beowulf’s main objective is to fight monsters. He is represented as a defender of humanity and truly a person on the side of good. The narrator of the story also has Christian views that are demonstrated through the first battle with Grendel. Beowulf is said to have received his strength that defeated Grendel by God. “So times were pleasant for the people there until finally one, a fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world.” Grendel is a personification of everything that is evil. He's truly a "fiend out of hell," or a descendant of Cain. According to the poem Cain's descendants became every sort of evil creature. In turn, one of these lines of descendants led to Grendel. Throughout Beowulf, Grendel, along with the other monsters, is described as mankind's enemy. Grendel’s attacks are driven by how jealous he his of how the humans are able to enjoy life in the light, while he is condemned to misery in the darkness. When Beowulf fights Grendel, he doesn't use any weapons; he fights him with his bare hands, honorably. Grendel did not expect such a fight and was quickly defeated by Beowulf. After his miserable defeat, he runs off to his lair, bleeding, rather than staying to finish the fight. The battle between Beowulf and Grendel happened quite differently than the battle that takes
“Like a man outlawed for wickedness, he must await the mighty judgment of God in majesty.” The story “Beowulf” shows an internal battle of good verses evil. This battle has always been around since the beginning of time. It is the balance of all that we know. There are several themes of this battle, even from the very beginning of the story. The battle of good andevil with God and Cain, which in turn, produces the demon Grendel. The epic battles of the story consist of King Hrothgar and the evil Grendel, who is terrorizing the kingdom, and the hero of the story, Beowulf going up against many evils such as Grendel, Grendel’s mother and finally the dragon. These are all stories of men fighting demons and monsters. Today, in the real
No one knows the difference between Grendel and Beowulf. No one knows that Grendel may be a better fighter than Beowulf, but all of that does not matter. To people today, Grendel is seen as evil. “For its grave: Grendel will carry our bloody Flesh to the moors, crunch on our bones And smear torn scraps of our skin on the walls Of his den.” (Anonymous 448-450). On the other hand, Beowulf is known as a man who deeply loves others. “Nor have I seen a mightier man-at-arms on this earth than the one standing here: unless I am mistaken, he is truly noble. This is no mere hanger-on in a hero's armour." (Anonymous 244-251). Therefore, Beowulf is more of loyal and compassionate person than Grendel is.
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.