Theme Between The Hero And The Monster In Beowulf

There is a seemingly fine-line between the hero and the monster in Beowulf. How far should we consider Beowulf’s strength and abilities as the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero before he becomes monstrous? To answer this we must first look at the way in which heroism and monstrosity are perceived within the literature of the Anglo-Saxon period. This can be seen within texts such as The Wonders of the East, if we note what types of creatures were described within this text we can compare these to the monsters in Beowulf and see how they differentiate. If we examine the way in which the poem 's "Hero", Beowulf, is described, then we shouldn 't see any similarities between him and the so called monsters, however the physical representation and abilities

So how is it that she is also labeled a monster alongside her son? The idea of being born evil plays a large part here, but to automatically deem Grendel 's Mother a monster is to ignore that Grendel must have had a father. However, the poet states that both Grendel and his mother sprung from Cain, consequently this idea is subverted by the term "Grendles Moder," surely if they both came from Cain then Grendel couldn 't have a mother. This seems to be a flaw within the story, or it could be read as a flaw within the society of Anglo-Saxon England. This is because it is Hrothgar, who says that "they are fatherless creatures, and their whole ancestry is hidden in a past of demons and ghosts," Hrothgar is a King, and therefore comes from a well known lineage of noble men, whereas Grendel is seen as an outcast (Heaney, Line:1355-7, 95). The statement from Hrothgar is unreliable information because of this social gap and the feud between Hrothgar and Grendel. It is obvious that Grendel 's Mother is strong, brave and loyal, but these traits, as we have already established, are synonymous with heroism. It could be that Grendel inherited his strength from his mother, but the monstrous element to his character may have come from the elusive father figure. The terms used to describe Grendel 's mother are derogative and play heavily on the

Grendel has already been established as a descendent of Cain, but if we place Beowulf in the role of Abel, the interactions between the two could be interpreted as a retelling of the biblical tale, and that balance is restored because Beowulf has killed the monsters that came from Cain. This link between Beowulf and Grendel extends further to Grendel 's Mother. If Beowulf and Grendel are representations of Cain and Abel, then Grendel’s Mother could be seen as both their mothers’. This is definitely arguable, but if we consider the similarities between Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother, then this view could provide a new depth to the poem. Firstly there is little information on Beowulf’s Mother, just his father is mentioned; consequently Grendel only has a Mother. This may be a coincidence, but Beowulf and Grendel 's Mother display similar capabilities during their fight in the underwater hall. To pursue Grendel 's Mother, Beowulf has to swim in water infested with "writhing sea-dragons and monsters," not only this but the length of time in which he swam underwater is longer than humanly possible, "It was the best part of a day before he could see the solid bottom," this reinforces the idea that Beowulf has superhuman abilities and thus explains why he is so strong (Heaney, Lines: 1427-8 & 1495-6, 99 & 103). Not only is he swimming underwater for hours, he also fights Grendel 's Mother