Beowulf Battle Comparison

Beowulf leaves his homeland and travels to Herot because he heard of the nightly attacks the Danes were suffering at the hands of Grendel. Grendel was attacking Herot because he heard the sounds of joy and happiness within the hall and because he, as a descendent of Cain, was angered when he heard people praising God. Beowulf wanted to fight Grendel to stop the attacks and save the lives of the Danes, but his also did it for the honor and glory he would earn by successfully defeating Grendel. To prepare to fight Grendel, Beowulf took off all of his armour and laid down his weapons because boasted that he was stronger than Grendel and could defeat him unarmed. The fight result in Beowulf making good on his claim of being stronger than Grendel because he ripped off Grendel’s arm to keep as a trophy and Grendel ran away and died.

They praise sir Beowulf, thanking him greatly. Yet little did this town or Beowulf know the agony yet to come. Grendel was indeed a monster, but a monster who was the spawn of a cruel creature. The slain monster’s mother, a she-wolf would be the hero’s next challenge. He would travel to the home of the monster’s mother, to yet again engage in the act of battle. They shall meet in the deep depths of the marshy hell. Beowulf would try to defeat the she-wolf with his sword but would not be enough. As he begins to become beaten, and weak, he sees a sword that may be to his advantage. “A heavy sword, hammered by giants, strong and blessed by their magic, the best of all weapons but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length” (page 54 line 530-535) He raised thy mighty sword and struck the devil in the neck, cutting the entire head off. Hrothgar’s men watch the monster’s lake filled with blood. Thinking all hope and gone and mighty Beowulf had been killed. Yet as the old men begin to whisper the mighty hero rises from the lake, only holding the she-wolfs head and the giant’s sword. The Beowulf would return with the head and place the monsters head in front of the

“None of them expected he would ever see his homeland again…” (lines 691-3) This quote explains that Beowulf and his entourage knew very well how likely they were to defeat Grendel. They’ll be lucky if two or three of them survive. This mindset can, however, be beneficial. All the fear and dread that would likely be within the men at that time can actually inspire determination, and people become more ferocious in combat when fear is in control, rather than confidence. Considering what his thoughts were, and the outcome of the battle was Beowulf ripping off Grendel’s arm, and the monster then fleeing, Beowulf was, in this moment, a hero.

Beowulf had never been one to back down from a challenge, even though he may possibly lose his life. Beowulf, certain of his victory arrives to Hrothgar’s kingdom and assures him that he shall defeat Grendel. Beowulf eventually does defeat Grendel, but Grendel’s mother soon arrives to avenge her son. Beowulf once again arrogantly goes to fight with the mother, taking a group of both his and Hrothgar’s men. Beowulf’s fate seemed bleak as he fought with Grendel’s mother, but with his quick thinking he was able to decapitate the she-monster. Beowulf’s pride compelled him to finish his task of eliminating the problems of the Danish kingdom, refusing to be defeated by Grendel or his mother. Beowulf receives his reward from Hrothgar, who is eternally grateful for the deeds Beowulf has done for his kingdom. Beowulf selflessly gives most of his treasure away to those who helped him, because though he may be prideful Beowulf is not selfish or greedy.

Mankind for centuries has viewed good as better than evil and that the hero must always win in the end. There are three major battles throughout the poem: Beowulf against Grendel, Beowulf against Grendel’s mother, and Beowulf against the dragon. In the battle of Beowulf verses Grendel, the good side is Beowulf, and the evil, or aggressor, is Grendel. During the intense part of the fight, Grendel “discovered himself / in a handgrip harder than anything / he had encountered in any man / on the face of the earth” (Beowulf 749-752). Immediately after, Grendel “was desperate to flee to his den and hide” (Beowulf 754), but Beowulf does not permit Grendel to flee so easily, and rips off his arm as a punishment. This moment when Beowulf decides to rip off Grendel’s arm rather than let him flee can either be interpreted as Beowulf attempting to stop the monster from ever attacking the city again, and also it shows how Beowulf is collecting the blood price of the deaths of the many Danish citizens that Grendel had killed. After the battle, Grendel returns home to die a slow painful death and his mother seeks revenge for her son’s pain and

He chopped off Grendel’s head and took it with him to Herot to give to Hrothgar for proof. 50 Years later Beowulf Is an old men! He and elven warriors go to a final battle, where he must fight an angry dragon because someone stole its jeweled cup. He would be paid great for his victory. Beowulf went there and started to fight the dragon, his shield melted, his sword cracked when he attacked the dragon.

Beowulf himself faces two main obstacles or battles that are considered “tests” to prove his fierceness and strength as a warrior. First, Beowulf faces Grendel, who has proved himself to be fierce after killing both Hrothgar and some of Beowulf’s men. Beowulf struggles to defeat Grendel, however halfway through the battle Beowulf gains the upper hand. Grendel realizes this, and “Knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had he met a man whose hands were harder” (Beowulf 402-405). Beowulf kills Grendel, and “The Battle was over, Beowulf/Had been granted new glory” (Beowulf 470-471). This test helps Beowulf reaffirm his position as one of the strongest warriors alive, while also helping Hrothgar win back his kingdom. However, this glory does not last. Soon after this test, Beowulf faces another battle, which is considered harder to win than his conflict with Grendel. Grendel’s mother, a sea hag, “comes to avenge her son” (Raffel 27). After Beowulf dives into a lake to look for her it “takes him hours to touch bottom, but finally he encounters the sea hag.” (Raffel. 27). This battle is harder to win than his victory with Grendel, but “At last he overcomes her, and, spying a magic sword, he clutches it and with one violent stroke cuts off her head.” (Raffel 27). The trials and tribulations that

Beowulf’s strength is beyond any of human comparison and has allowed him to accomplish tasks that would have obliterated lesser men and gain renown throughout the world. Beowulf’s boasts of his strength are not to be received as prideful or egotistical but rather as a true representation of his power as Beowulf always fulfils his boasts. When Beowulf pledges to vanquish Grendel, he does not take it lightly and tells Hrothgar and his wife, Wealhtheow, that “..I shall fulfil that purpose, prove myself with a proud victory or meet my death here in the mead-hall.”(636-638), showing that he is prepared to die, if needed, to defeat this hellish creature. Later that night, in his battle with Grendel, Beowulf showed his strength. “The Captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth… in all his days, he had never been clamped or cornered like this”(749-752,755-756). Beowulf’s strength surpassed that of even supernatural beings and allowed his to go on the offensive against a foe that had ravaged Heorot for years and thus allowed him to fulfill his boast. Beowulf power is brought out in his recitation of his deeds and again later actions against the mother of Grendel and a fire breathing dragon that threatens his home. In all of this fights, Beowulf is not seeking glory for himself, but

Beowulf is humbled after fighting Grendel. Before fighting Grendel Beowulf was over confident and cocky. He believed that he was the greatest and did not realize the extent of the challenge of fighting Grendel. Although Beowulf won the battle he did not kill him in the mead hall as he had intended. Before Beowulf fought Grendel he thought that he could “alone… purge all evil from [the] hall… /[and is so great that he needed] no weapons and [feared] none.” (431-434). During the fight no matter how “hard… [Beowulf] held him he still pulled free” (928). “Grendel escaped,/ But wounded as he was he could flee to his den” (819-820). Beowulf did not have the skill set to kill Grendel as he first predicted, he seriously injured him but did not kill him in the mead hall. Beowulf learned that not everything is as easy as it may seem. The result of the fight humbled Beowulf. Fighting Grendel gave Beowulf perspective and taught him not to act egotistical, and to never underestimate your opponent. The lesson Beowulf learns is reflected in his actions throughout the rest of the story. When praised for his accomplishments, Beowulf did not boast or act superior, he accepted his loses and celebrated his wins among the rest of the Danes.

Grendel’s mom was furious; she invited the one who they called Beowulf down to her lair as she wanted revenge for her son’s death. She carried him and his sword to her battle hall where no one could get to them and he could not escape without defeating her. Beowulf tried to use his sword but it had no affect due to her spell on human weapons. They fought and Beowulf was already tired from getting attacked by the sea creatures on the way. As they fought he became weary and there was nothing he could do, but he realized that he had spotted the mythical sword hand crafted by the magical giants themselves. He reached out to it and ripped it from the chains. It was so big it took all his might and all the energy he had left to raise is above his head and chop down on the vicious beast. Slicing her head clean off as it cuts through all the bones and muscles in the neck like butter. Beowulf spotted Grendel lying lifeless In the corner. He walked over to him and cut his head right off. He took the head of the monster who took many lives of his fellow soldiers and his friends. He brought it back to the

His plan was to bring victory back to Herot and defeat the monstrous Grendel. Many people have seen Beowulf’s strengths and he is the best choice for this battle. In his past victories, he had chased five great giants who were tangled up in chains from the earth, he swims in the darkness of night, searching for monsters and driving them out of the ocean to be victorious in killing them all. This battle was Beowulf’s calling to defeat Grendel and he wasn’t planning on giving up until his goal was achieved. On the night that Beowulf arrived Beowulf awaited for the return of Grendel while we were nowhere near the premises. Grendel departed from his lair traveling to Herot with the intention of feasting on human flesh of my men not knowing what he would be encountering. Grendel set his attention to the first Geat he laid eyes on ripping him to shreds. Beowulf was in Grendel’s path of destruction when Grendel finally reached him. The rest of Beowulf’s men sprang up from the ground ready to protect Beowulf from what was about to happen. Infact, Beowulf did not need any protection. Beowulf then grasped onto Grendel’s arm never letting go, using all his might to defeat Grendel and never losing hope. Moments later, Grendel was suffering in desperation to flee. Grendel knew that there was no hope in overcoming Beowulf’s strength. As a symbol of triumph Grendel’s arm, claw, and shoulder are now hanging high in the mead hall for everyone to see that

“So Hrothgar's men lived happily in this hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell (line 101).” During the winter season, everyone slept in Mead Hall because of the warmth. Everyone was happy, until Grendel came. Beowulf finally has his chance to repay his father's debt. Vengeance against Grendel. For the many months it took for Beowulf to travel to the Danes, Grendel has been wreaking havoc, killing many men in Mead Hall. Vengeance is what binds tribes together. Helping Edgetho escape the Wulfings became a very great deed. Without Beowulf repaying his father's debt, Grendel may have never been defeated. “The victory ,for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's arm, claw, and shoulder and all (line 835).” The bloody battle ended with Beowulf tearing the arm from Grendel. This was the victory trophy that ended Grendel terrorizing the Danes. The tribe was bound together once again. Beowulf’s victory against Grendel was great for the Danes, but not everyone was happy about his

After defeating Grendel Beowulf enjoys the celebration and rewards that Hrothgar has treated him to. Beowulf earns the respect of the whole kingdom of Heorot. A few nights later Grendel’s mother learns that her son was killed by a human. She comes angrily back to the mead hall where she will take vengeance for her son. “But now his mother had sallied forth on a savage journey, grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge” (pg. 89). Grendel’s mother is another stage in Beowulf’s step toward an older warrior. Before the great battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf was a little bit more mature and was not as confident. “Beowulf got ready, donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail would soon meet with the menace underwater.” (pg. 101) He needed armor because he feels that it wasn’t the kind of battle he would face without his necessity to survive. After a long fight Beowulf finds the strength in him to grab the weapon that would kill Grendel’s mother. Once again good has defeated evil. Beowulf comes through as a hero one more time before his departure from Heorot.

The story of Beowulf is one of a great hero. Beowulf is a very generous person who is always willing to help out when people are in need. Over the course of the story, Beowulf ends up in three major battles: the battle with Grendel, with Grendel’s mother, and with the dragon. All of these battles were different in their style and the way Beowulf approached them was different. Beowulf also had different reasons to participate in each of the battles.

After Beowulf defeated the monster Grendel by ripping his arm off and hanging it in the mead hall all of the Danes knew that he was a great warrior. Then Beowulf proves himself again and again by swimming down underwater and finding Grendel’s mother in her own territory and defeating her. Beowulf shows his greatness in battle one last time in his old age by fighting against the Evil Dragon. All of one of Beowulf soldiers left him for