Dorothy Whitelock's Use Of Monsters In Beowulf

Beowulf is a story of a heathen hero set in a pre-Christian era, yet the poem itself is crafted in language with which a Christian audience would be familiar. Since Dorothy Whitelock’s The Audience of Beowulf was published in 1951, the readers and scholars of Beowulf have generally agreed with her hypothesis, which is that the poet was a Christian composing for a Christian audience (Irving 177). As Whitelock asserts, “The Christian element is not merely superimposed; it permeates the poem” (Whitelock 4). However, the pagan themes of this tale of ancient Germanic heroes are likewise impossible to ignore. Although scholars throughout the ages have tried to prove that Beowulf is either a pagan text or a Christian one, this essay will discuss

Beowulf’s first monster-battle is with Grendel, who can be directly related to the Old Testament through the allusion to Cain, his ancestor. Monsters would generally be regarded as a pagan element, but the Old Testament, too, has references to monsters and giants. Grendel acts as an opposition to Christian ideals, as he murders men, drinks their blood and eats their flesh, for no reason other than his own hateful nature. As a descendant of Cain he bears the curse of God. Yet, there are also pagan elements here, as the poet describes that out of the curse of Cain sprang ogres, elves, evil phantoms and

Unlike Grendel, the dragon, or “wyrm,” is never outwardly connected to the devil or Christianity. However, a connection between the great serpent and Satan can be easily made. There are instances of Satan appearing in dragon form in the Bible. He appears as a conniving serpent in the Garden of Eden and as a fire-breathing dragon in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation.

When admiring the intricate interweaving of Christian faith and pagan-heroic ideas, the question of Beowulf’s fate is inevitable. The poet never explicitly articulates if Beowulf ascends into heaven or descends into hell. Anglo-Saxon readers would know the pagan act of burning Beowulf’s body is a Christian sin. However, readers might assume that Beowulf is rewarded when he dies, because he is a good man, essentially an amalgamation of Christian and heroic attributes, where Grendel is wicked and loathed by God. Fratricide is an evil sin in Christianity and heroic tradition alike, and it is for this sin that Cain’s race was cursed. Therefore, Grendel undoubtedly goes to hell. Beowulf predicts that Unferth, who killed his bother, will go to hell as