Beowulf, fairytale or no? Beowulf has many characteristics that fairytales have so yes, Beowulf is a fairytale. In the epic poem you will see these three fairytale characteristics: it has a villain, a hero, and a happy ending. In the epic poem, Beowulf, there is an evil villain. This is no different from any other fairytale, in Cinderella you have the evil stepmother and the evil daughters, in Ariel there is Ursula, and in Beowulf there is Grendel. Grendel is your typical bad guy. He tormented the people in the Mead Hall, Herot. He killed 30 people in the Mead Hall, and he tried to kill and capture Beowulf’s army of men. Grendel was really gruesome with his killings. He killed one of his victims, which was one of Beowulf’s men like this, “Nor did the wretch delay, but set about seizing a sleeping warrior unawares and bit into his bone locks, drinking the streams of blood, then swallowing huge morsels of flesh”(Beowulf, Episode 4 Grendel Attacks Again), the quote shows how ruthless …show more content…
In fairytales, the villain hates happiness. In this particular story the villain, Grendel hates the loud noise of music and joy that comes from the Mead Hall. Villains like to cause terror to people, Grendel caused terror for 12 years by attacking the people in Herot. But, with every villain, there is a hero.With his strength and courageousness, Beowulf saves the day. In almost every fairytale there is a hero or a “knight in shining armor”. The hoer comes into the story at the end and he saves the princess or saves the town by defeating a dragon or a bad guy. Beowulf was the “knight in shining armor” for Herot and the people who Grendel terrorized. Beowulf was fearless when he fought Grendel, and he played it fair when fighting him. Beowulf even told Hrothgar this, “the monster uses
Grendel in the Epic of Beowulf is portrayed as a monster, a creature that has no thoughts on who he kills.While in the movie Beowulf and Grendel(Gunnarsson 2005); he is much more human-like. In parts of the movie, thoughts are led to believe that in fact he is not out to kill random people he only harms those who have “hurt him”.This, in fact, leads to believe that Grendel from the film really wasn’t the bad guy:it shifted towards the fact that Hrothgar was the bad guy for killing Grendel 's father This ties to the fact that as we modernize we tend to need a reason to do things, most people will not endure things if in the end the end result they won 't benefit from it. Nevertheless, the film has changed the perspective and/ or natural view that one as a reader would have taken from the
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
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 must use armor and weapons to kill it. Which it shows how Beowulf is depending into death. This would be one of the main reason he is a monster and not Grendel. Grendel has reasons which people may take him as a monster but not as much as Beowulf. Grendel Is doing what he thinks is best since Beowulf killed his mother for no reason. When Beowulf killed the Dragon, while at it.. Beowulf died as well.
Through his many heroic accomplishments, whether it is fighting Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon, in Beowulf’s defense of the needy and his enthusiasm to sacrifice his life to benefit others, Beowulf has earned the right to be given the name “hero.” Beowulf can be looked at as a man who demonstrates the knightly morality of his medieval counterparts. Beowulf is not only a hero, but also a model to all warriors of that they should aim to be.
While Grendel may possess a brute strength, his lack of wit and logic is what ultimately leads to his downfall and demise. In Beowulf, the actions and character that of Beowulf, or an Epic Hero, define the perfect Anglo-Saxon warrior. Epic heroes are indicated by a variety of traits, including that they, “must look like a hero, they must be noble, famous, strong, courageous, humble, prideful, thick-skinned, self-sacrificing, faithful, focused, be a leader, and have a tragic flaw” (Jones 3). Unfortunately, aside from the ‘tragic flaw’ and ‘strong’ categories, Grendel’s character is antithetical to all characteristics of an Epic Hero. This makes him quite the villain, and a generally despicable character. “Suddenly then, / the God-cursed brute creating havoc: / greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men”
The contrast between good and evil is evident in Beowulf and effectively characterizes the many diverse people and creatures featured in the poem. From the highest hero in Beowulf to the most vile villain in Grendel, the tendencies of the characters, as well as their environments and the motives behind their actions, illustrate the deep differences that run between the virtuous and the wicked in the epic poem
For countless years stories have involved a hero and a villain, the villain being the one who stops the piece and the hero who brings the piece back, the poem Beowulf is another story like this..Although the author is unknown it is for sure of Anglo-Saxon poetry and may have been written by a monk. The title “Beowulf” tells the reader right away what the story is going to be about, and who the hero is. The main characters of “Beowulf” are the hero Beowulf, the evil monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother She-wolf, Unferth which contrasts Beowulf, Hrothgar the King of the Danes, and Wiglaf the loyal ally. This story is about the greatest warrior in the world being called upon to save Danes and slay the monster who cannot be stopped yet, some don’t
The story of “Beowulf” begins at a time where a great hero is needed. This is where Beowulf’s character takes the initial place of an epic hero. In the first story of “Beowulf,” Beowulf takes on the responsibility of destroying the great threat, Grendel. This immediately shows the courage, honor and bravery of Beowulf. When Beowulf sailed to the Danes to kill Grendel, he was not searching for money, he was simply putting the Geats lives before his own. Beowulf was not yet
"That night, Beowulf and his men stay inside Herot. While his men sleep, Beowulf lies awake, eager to meet with Grendel" (Raffel Burton- 48). In the epic, Beowulf establishes himself as a highly profitable warrior, on a mission to serve and protect. Immediately, Beowulf is presumed to be a good force, taking on Grendel who is perceived to be a descendant of Cain, who personifies evil. A valiant warrior, Beowulf protests that he shall take on the monster, stripped of weapons and armor. When the evil monster Grendel attacked the people of Herot, Beowulf chose to fight Grendel and diminish the evil that he represents. While he and his men sleep, Grendel arrives to wreak havoc on the mead-hall.
In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.
Both of these characters remain static throughout the poem. Beowulf portrays the heroic figure who saves everyone, while Grendal always remains evil with bad intentions. Grendal attacks mead hall because of jealousy. Grendal envies the fellowship and happiness he observes. He dislikes living in the outer world, excluded from the company of men; thus he stalks the moors, jealous of the pleasures of mankind.
In the beginning of the story, a mythical monster named Grendel who is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. When Beowulf hears of this tragedy, he volunteers to go and fight the mythical beast. The author wrote, “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen In all.” Once Beowulf arrives, he is given a feast and then decides to stay in Herot overnight to confront Grendel. Grendel then arrives and kills one of the Geats before Beowulf can get into the battle. Beowulf then goes hand-to-hand against Grendel and ends up tearing off Grendel’s shoulder. Grendel then retreats to his lair to die. This is only a mere example of why Beowulf is a hero.
...m Beowulf proves he is a hero through his battles. He’s trophies transform from physical evidence of his opponents defeat to gold and riches. Though this seems selfish, he always gave his riches and rewards from his accomplishments to his people or the king he was working for. Throughout his battles his methods also changed. He started by fighting on fair terms, without weaponry or armor, and then he had full armor and multiple weapons. Beowulf did this because he recognized his limits, especially in his old age where needed the protection and help in order to keep his people safe and continue to be a hero. In a way, he still fought on fair terms because Grendel’s Mother and the dragon were much stronger than he. Beowulf was a selfless warrior who deserved his title of an epic hero.
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.