Corruption In Beowulf

The night after Grendel is killed, his mother attacks Heorot, seeking revenge for her son, leaving them all in chaos. The following morning they all suit up and set off to find and kill Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother lives in a cave at the bottom of a mere, causing Beowulf to have to fight underwater. Beowulf suits up in all his armor and is offered a sword, Hrunting, by Unferth to fight with. As Beowulf dives into the mere to find Grendel’s mother, she senses a human observing her lair and attacks, grabbing Beowulf and dragging him to her

Beowulf discovers this and goes after the witch and battle. Beowulf is at the bottom of the lake and is fighting to death with Grendel’s mother. On page 60, “But her guest discovered that no sword could slice her evil skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her, was useless.” The quote explains once Beowulf knew his sword Hrunting had no effect on Grendel’s mother, Beowulf had to come up with another strategy to win the battle. Beowulf’s sword is destroyed while fighting Grendel’s mother, and tries to find a new weapon to fight with. On page 61, the quote says “Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by the giants, strong and blessed with their magic.” The quote is saying Beowulf uses the Giants strong, heavy, sword to fight Grendel’s mother and savagely cut through the witch’s neck. Now have killed Grendel and his mother. After defeating Grendel’s mother Beowulf decides to claim an award one last time for revenge. Page 62 quotes “Had sent him from Herot, then struck off his head with a single swift blow. The body jerked for the last time, then lay still.” Beowulf has cut off Grendel’s head as an act of revenge and claims the head as his reward and leaves Grendel’s body bleeding. Beowulf has slaughtered two monsters, claimed another prize, and once again saved the

Beowulf sees Grendel's mother in a cave. He tries to hit her with his sword, Unferth's Hrunting, but it fails to pierce her skin. So he throws the sword away and attacks the mother with his bare hands. He trusts "in his strength, his mighty hand-grip." Beowulf manages to throw Grendel's mother down; however, she quickly retaliates and is soon sitting on top of him. She tries to kill him with a dagger, but Beowulf's armor protects him this time. Beowulf managed to throw her off of himself and sees a sword of enormous size, which he immediately grabs.

“Then he stepped to another still body, clutched as Beowulf with his claws, Grasped at a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper--And was instantly seized himself, claws bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm. That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder;” When Grendel grabbed Beowulf, Grendel became afraid of Beowulf because he felt how strong Beowulf was and knew that Beowulf was stronger than Grendel. Beowulf went on to rip Grendel 's arm off, which sent him back to the marshes that he came from. Beowulf was known as a hero, after he killed Grendel. In order for him to keep that status in Hrothgar’s village he had to slay Grendel 's mother,

When Beowulf hears about Grendel, he feels that it is his duty to stop Grendel from killing anymore, Beowulf leaves to go to Herot to destroy him. Beowulf is mostly being applaud for his long journey to face this terrible monster. Beowulf says, “Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am! I could kill him with my sword: I shall not” (line 677). Beowulf feels

To begin, Beowulf has a complex motivation for fighting the monster Grendel. His first motivation is duty which is part of the Anglo-Saxon code he’s obligated to go and kill Grendel. His people told him so go and do it so he does duty comes first and personal choice comes second. On page 47 lines 244-246 Beowulf says, “My people have said, the wisest, most knowing And best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king.”

In a gesture of boasting (as archetypal heroes do), Beowulf put the monster’s arm on display like a trophy for all to see. Grendel was not dead, but Beowulf had caused significant damage to the creature.

Beowulf took it upon himself and accepted the task of killing Grendel “Heard how Grendel filled nights with horror/And quickly commanded a boat fitted out” (line 111-112). Beowulf heard how Grendel was killing kings Hrothgar men and knew no one could stop him but him and if he did he would be remember forever by them. Beowulf leaves his home to help people he does not even no “The young warrior Beowulf, a nobleman from the land of the Geats, travels to the kingdom of the Danes, where he saves the people of King Hrothgar by slaying the monster Grendel and his mother”. He comes to a land of sacred people and kills not just one beats but two he will forever be remember by them. Even after years Beowulf will still put his life on the line for the fame “In endless battles. I am old, now,/But I will Fight again, seek fame still/If the dragon hiding in his tower dares/to face me” (line 625-628).

Upon entering the Danes' hall, Herot, Grendel is confronted by Beowulf, who immediately seizes Grendel's arms and drives fear into the monster's heart, "... [Grendel] knew at once that nowhere on earth/ Had he met a man whose hands were harder..." (lines 751-752). Through his slaughter of Grendel, Grendel's mom, the dragon, and other monsters, Beowulf proves his amazing strength to the other characters and to the readers.

Grendel’s mother kills Hrothgar’s closest advisor and took Grendel’s arm, which the Danes had hung on the wall as a symbol of victory. Beowulf takes this threat very personally and vows to defeat Grendel’s mother or die trying. Finally, Beowulf answers the call one last time, many years later in Geatland. Fifty years after defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother, Beowulf had been king of Geatland for many years and happily rules over the Geats. A dragon destroys Beowulf’s mead hall while seeking revenge on an escaped slave who has stolen treasure from the dragon. Beowulf was an extremely prideful person and would not let the dragon go unscathed for destroying his mead hall. This is the third and final time Beowulf answers the call to his Hero’s Quest.

To begin, one of the many ways that Beowulf was different than Grendel is that Beowulf was brave. Every night Grendel snuck into Herot Hall to destroy King Hrothgar’s men. He did this while hiding in the shadows, sneaking around in the dead of night, and attacking while the men we asleep and at there most vulnerable. These are not the characteristics the brave, these are the characteristics of a foul, loathsome, cowardly beast. Mean while, Beowulf liked to meet a problem head on, in this case the problem was Grendel himself. Determined Beowulf sailed to Denmark to defeat Grendel, telling Hrothgar that he will take Grendel’s life with his bare hands. As told in the story, “ That mighty protector of men/ Meant to hold the monster till it’s life/ leaped out” (Raffel, 1963, l. 366-368). And when Beowulf got the chance to do just that, Grendel took the cowards road, “Grendel’s one thought

The poem quotes “ No weapon on earth is capable of harming Grendel”(Sparknotes 2017). So it was all on him to kill Grendel. Beowulf is still confident about killing Grendel when he see’s that no weapon can harm him. He had no other option but to rip something off because a sword wasn’t going to do the job. Grendel became frightened and tried to scurry back to his place and

He is now a great hero among the Geats and the Danes. The trials throughout the story are used to build pressure and also establish the character of the hero. The following step is Atonement with the father. In a lectured arranged to mentor Beowulf through a life of leadership, King Hrothgar warns young Beowulf of the dangers of pride and the uncertainties of old age. When Beowulf returns from the fight with Grendel's mother, he enters the hall with now Grendel's head. Not only has he defeated the beast but his mother too. The Danes celebrate and cheer when they discover Beowulf has succesfully completed another task and is alive and untouched. He gives all of the credit to God, saying "I barely survied the battle underwater. It was hard-fought, a desperate affair that could've gone badly; if God had not helped me." (1655-58) After hearing the news about Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother King Hrothgar is extremely pleased with Beowulf's accomplishmnt. He no longer has to live in fear for his kingdom. Hrothgar congratulates Beowulf and tells him with words of advice. He cautions Beowulf to beware of his pride by not getting the big head, due to his

Beowulf is the prince of the geats, and he is called upon to fight a monster named “Grendel” who has been attacking for 12 years. Grendel attacks out of jealousy, anger, and hatred. The king of the deans called for beowulf the kill the monster. Beowulf gets there and wait grendel out while everyone sleeps. Beowulf sees grendel walk in and grendel takes one of beowulf’s men and tear him apart. Then, grendel goes for beowulf, beowulf grabs his hand and beings to fight back, and

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.