Burton Raffel wrote a book called “Beowulf”. This book is about a vicious monster that goes and kills several men, but then one night faces his worst nightmare the hero Beowulf. In this book the main characters are Grendel, and Beowulf. “Beowulf” is about a hero that comes to the danes and helps them defeat an evil monster named Grendel. Grendel gets upset with the warriors that live in Heorot because they continue to party each night and wake him up. One night Grendel comes out and finds 14 new men that belong to Beowulf. Beowulf jumps out and attacks Grendel. He cuts off his claw and that sends Grendel running back to hide. Grendel soon dies, but then his mother comes out to avenge her son and kill Beowulf. Beowulf goes to her lair and kills …show more content…
He fights evil and protects all humans. For example, Beowulf says “your country is cursed with some strange, vicious creature that hunts only at night and that no one has seen” (Beowulf 187-189). This quote shows Beowulf cares about others and wishes to protect them from all danger. He also states, “here in my heart, for some way to drive this devil out” (Beowulf 192-193). Beowulf is committed to killing the beast and restoring peace and joy into the danes life once again. Beowulf is known as a brave and fearless hero to several people around the world. Clearly, in this story Beowulf is the good in all cases. He has all the aspects of being the hero and will not back down from a fight just because it is too tough. He rather die trying than survive never knowing if he could accomplish his goals or …show more content…
Grendel is a mean, vicious monster that killed 30 danes late at night when he went out hunting. He got furious with the danes dancing, singing and drinking late at night while he was trying to sleep. For instance, the author says, “A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as day the music rang loud in that hall, ‘the harp’s rejoicing call and the poet’s clear songs” (Beowulf 1-5). Grendel has a fear unlike Beowulf. The moment he first meets eyes with Beowulf his first thought was to run and go hide back in his lair with his mother (Beowulf 540-541). Once that thought came to his mind it was too late for him to return home to his mother. Soon enough, Beowulf was fighting him and he tore his arm off of his body. After, Grendel got away and ran to go hide. Very soon after Grendel died from loss of blood and his mother was furious and went to avenge her only son. Beowulf won this battle, but he would need to be able to win against Grendel’s furious, evil
In times before printed books were common, stories and poems were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. From such oral traditions come great epics such as England’s heroic epic, Beowulf. In Beowulf, the monster Grendel serves as the evil character acting against the poem’s hero, as shown by his unnatural strength, beast-like qualities, and alienation from society.
Beowulf is an epic poem that explores many themes and motifs within the Anglo-Saxon society. The Author, who remains anonymous, composed the epic around 1000 A.D. The literature focuses mainly on a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Herot, a small town ran by King Hrothgar. Beowulf arises to rid the town of evil forces, such as the demon monster Grendel, and his savage mother who seeks revenge for the death of her son. As he ages, Beowulf presumes his title as king of Geatland, still eager to protect his loyal followers from danger. Though he is viewed as a godly force, the situations and the behaviors that Beowulf expressed, sometimes deviate how the Anglo-Saxons viewed his character. From this, the theme of "Good vs. Evil", which can be easily depicted in the literature piece, was constantly contradicted throughout the entire poem.
The most important events in Beowulf’s life seem to all be a matter of Dichotomy. Good versus evil. Beowulf encounters perilous monsters throughout his life that no man or woman would ever stand a chance of defeating. Beowulf embodies the classic storybook hero, whom is built with a strong body and a pure heart. Throughout this epic, Beowulf must harness his heroic body and pure heart into destroying the forces of evil in the world.
Grendel by John Gardner, a novel based on the epic poem Beowulf, was originally published in 1982. It looks at the story from the perspective of the monster, Grendel. It helps the reader empathize with Grendel and think of original story in a new way. Gardner portrays Grendel as the stereotypical misunderstood monster that turns to violence after being isolated and misunderstood form the normal people. This story is driven forward by acts of cruelty, from both the humans and Grendel. When Grendel first discovers the humans, he discovers a new kind of cruelty. Not only the creatures like him, but especially to each other. Grendel then discovers the joy of being cruel to others; he becomes more and more like the humans he despises. Finally, Grendel
Grendel, the monster terrorizing Heorot, is introduced as being estranged from the rest of the world. He is described as an outsider, a descendant of “Cain’s clan” (107). Grendel’s outcast status leaves him living in darkness, his envy growing the more he hears the celebrations of the Danes. Envy and social status motivate Grendel’s cruelty, filling him with anger towards those who are human. When Beowulf and the Geats arrive, it is not solely out of honor that Beowulf vows to kill the beast. Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow, had an unpaid debt at the time of his death. Beowulf’s pledge that he would kill Grendel was a repayment, as well as an honorable feat. However, as Beowulf is introduced, the boasts he makes of his heroic feats and his “awesome strength” (29), only prove his barbarity. He boasts that “they had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies when I battled and bound five beasts, raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea slaughtered sea brutes” (419-422). He goes on to blame the enemies for the vengeance that he wrought upon them. Beowulf dehumanizes his enemies, states that they were foul beasts who tainted the land, and he purified it. This is a sadistic view of life and battle, contrasting cruelty for the
Before discussing the evil within Beowulf, what is “good” should be clarified. Beowulf is the main character of the poem. Through the story he fights off the monsters plaguing his and Hrothgar’s people. He is the embodiment of what is thought to be good. “‘Nor have I [The watchman] seen a mightier man-at-arms …
In the epic poem, Beowulf, “The Beowulf” is depicted as the big bad guy. Though he is not seen as a big bad guy who resembles a villain, but a big bad guy who is boastful and arrogant. Beowulf is shown as a superhuman where nothing or no one can defeat him. However, the author does not show Beowulf with the same characteristics as he transitions from a good warrior to a questionable good king. During Beowulf’s new beginning of a king, he still lingers in the mindset of a warrior.
In the the epic poem Beowulf, several contrasting symbols and pieces of imagery contribute to the overarching theme of the fight between good and evil. Whether comparing the characters in Beowulf, their respective environments, or their motives, it becomes very clear that an immense separation between the worlds of good and evil characterizes the story.
The general definition of a hero is, “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Although, the interpretation of a hero is always dependant on the society in which the hero resides. The “hero”, Beowulf, is not depicted the same way as he is in the self-titled poem “Beowulf” as he is in Grendel. The poem “Beowulf” is said to emerge from the Anglo-Saxon period or the 5th-6th century. It was later translated by Burton Raffel. The “hero” of the poem, Beowulf, is a glorified Geatish warrior whose hunger for fame and wealth drives him to the land of the Danes to rid of the evil monster, Grendel. He is depicted as a strong, brave, and courageous man and admired by the Danes. On the other hand,
Grendel made his way inside the mead-hall, looking hungry with evil upon the young warriors who were resting in that hall. The first Geat, Grendel had come upon, he had killed the warrior and drank his blood. Grendel then met Beowulf, seizing him in his claws, but it was Beowulf, who broke free from the monster’s grasp. Beowulf had shown his strength, that Grendel had met no other man on earth with the strength Beowulf had displayed. Grendel was afraid of Beowulf and his thoughts were of fleeing back to where he had come. Beowulf grasped Grendel from fleeing and had held the monster’s claws in his hands, trapping the beast. Beowulf’s warriors had raised their swords, ready to fight, not knowing that the monster’s skin could not be scratched by their weapons. Grendel, losing strength was groaning, Beowulf, twisting with his bare hands, twisting the monster’s arm with all his strength! Beowulf tore the monster’s arm off from its body. Beowulf had gained a new glory and the monster fled to Hell. Beowulf had liberated Hrothgar’s kingdom, they Danes, along with Beowulf and his warriors had celebrated, not a single Dane doubted Beowulf. He then hung the monster’s arm from the rafters of the mead-hall, for all to see. Beowulf showed strength, courage and bravery by fighting Grendel, a monster no one could kill and everyone was terrified of. Beowulf with his own hands,
In the poem of Beowulf, everyone believed Grendel to be a bloodcurdling, and horrendous monster. The very place where Grendel lived, tells what a dark and horrible monster he was. From the poem Beowulf, it reads; “living down in the darkness…his den, his miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh.” Grendel’s upbringing alone set him up for being the horrendous monster that he was. Just imagine walking in his shoes for a moment, imagine being raised as Grendel was raised. Down in darkness, living in a miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh. One may argue that Grendel didn’t start out with the chance, or hope of being kind, and peaceful. Being raised in darkness, and in a miserable hole, would naturally produce a horrible monster as Grendel.
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.
Although Grendel is depicted as a hideous bloodthirsty beast because he eats the Danes at Heorot continuously, he has some characteristics of a human gone wild. Grendel possesses the ability to feel human emotions such as envy and fear. When the Danes were having a feast in Heorot, Grendel “had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan, whom the creator outlawed and condemned as outcasts”(104-106). He feels envy towards the Danes for making him an outcast of society. He was jealous of the Danes that were having a great time together while he had to live a life of misery alone. Grendel feels fear as well as envy because “he was overwhelmed, manacled tight by the man who of all men was foremost and strongest in the days of this life”(787-789). During the battle between Grendel and the hero Beowulf, Grendel was unprepared for Beowulf’s fighting tactics. He, who usually is victorious after each attack in Heorot, did not expect to be defeated by Beowulf, which is shown because “his fingers weakened; it was the worst trip the terror-monger had taken to Heorot”(764-765). When Beowulf leaves his weapon and decides to wrestle Grendel, Grendel realizes that he is no match for Beowulf’s strength. He feared death just as human are afraid of death. An ordinary person would want to flee if he or she was being wrestled to the ground and about to die. Grendel felt like fleeing but Beowulf did not want to lose any opportunities to kill the villain and thus does the deed in one go. When he realizes that his end was near, “the dread of the land was desperate to escape, to take a roundabout road and flee to his lair in the fens”(761-763). Just as humans in their psychoanalytic development, Grendel had a fight or flight response. When he knew that he was going to die he immediately chose the flight response in which he could not do because Beowulf was much more powerful and aggressive. He does not let Grendel escape. Grendel’s pain is all the more acute because he is brought so close to mankind and yet always kept at an unbreachable distance from society.
Anger then yields itself to insecurity and low self-esteem. The moment Grendel realizes that there is someone just as strong as him, he tries to run away, ". . . Grendel's one thought was to run / From Beowulf, flee back to his marsh and hide there:" (437-438), but it is too late. Just like when the average bully meets his match, he runs in fear of not being able to win. Grendel does not have the audacity to stand up to Beowulf with all his might and therefore falls to Beowulf.
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.