Essay on Good and Evil in Beowulf

The Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, was originally told orally then later was written down anonymously in the Old English language. It is not known who or whom wrote this poem down. What we do know is that Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem of the English language; the original has suffered irreparable damage in a fire. “The poem dates back to 1000 AD”

Beowulf a New Telling by Robert Nye was very interesting but not altogether satisfactory and one of the very interesting parts was the memory that stirred in Grendel’s heart but one of the unsatisfactory parts was the ending and the conclusion I can draw about the features of the work is that Beowulf a New Telling by Robert Nye is a thrilling tale about Beowulf who is trying to rid the land of the Danes and the land of the Geats of evil. There were also many relationships between light and darkness (good and evil) in people but the main one was in Beowulf. For example, in chapter 6 on page 40, Beowulf has elements of lightness when he says, “light holds you, Grendel. Light has you in its power. You, who have shunned the sun, meet me, once stung by bees that drank the sun. There is honey in my veins, Grendel, a liquid sunlight that can kill you quite.” This contrasts with his elements of bad in chapter 11 on page 76 when he says “By my own bad, please don’t think of me as some saint. That would make me as monstrous as Grendel, though in the other direction. Majesty of all the Danes, sweet Wealtheow, you see before you a hero who has come through many kinds of high adventures only to foul of his own weakness.”

Whether you are arguing with your siblings, with a stranger at a baseball game, during a debate, with your parents or children, you are fighting for what you believe is right. You perceive yourself as the “victim” in the situation by trying to justify your reasoning behind the argument. Some people may perceive you as the good or as the evil because they believe that you have done nothing wrong, you were being perverse or fighting for the wrong reason. The epic poem Beowulf, is a super-eminent literary example that represents the good and evil in the characters and what they are fighting for. In this fictional poem, in which the author is unknown, the protagonist Beowulf encounters three major battles with a monster named Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and a dragon. Each character is fighting for a certain reason and believe their reason is more dominant. The two audiences that view the characters as good or evil is the Danes and the narrator. Since the characters in the poem believe they're justified in their actions, they prove to not be all evil or all good. In fact, they should be judged based on the rationale behind their actions to fight.

Beowulf is an epic poem that, above all, gives the reader an idea of a time long past; a time when the most important values were courage and integrity. The only factors that could bestow shower fame upon a person were heroic deeds and family lineage. Beowulf, as the paradigm of pagan heroes, exhibited his desire to amass fame and fortune; the only way to do so was to avenge the death of others. This theme of retribution that is ever present throughout the poem seems to color the identities of its characters.

Good and Evil in Beowulf       In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the poem's main and most important aspect. The poet makes it clear that good and evil do not exist as only opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the ability to do good, or to perform acts selflessly and in help of others. Goodness is also showed throughout this epic as having the ability to cleanse evil.

As a “bloodthirsty fiend,” Grendel was the first of the foes Beowulf battles. (line 407) He is “a powerful monster,” who “was spawned in... slime.” (lines 1, 19) He is a descendant of Cain, and chose to sacrifice the Danes to no one but himself. Grendel is “set on murder.”(49-50) Nothing can “quench his thirst for evil. (lines 52-53) Grendel stalked Herot and set his wrath loose on all who came to the hall. His mother, the “she-wolf” lived in an underwater cavern. (line 572) She is the “water witch,” one that no one’s “sword could slice her evil skin.” (lines 493, 496-497) Both characters are demons living only to hate, and cause terror in the hearts of those who know of them. The third villain comes much later than the first two. The dragon is Beowulf’s last enemy, and last battle. The beast poured out fire and smoke, and was one who “coiled and uncoiled” at the sight of a human. (line 673) The dragon menaces Beowulf’s kingdom and as an old man he is forced to fight the beast. The antagonists are evil and uncaring of human life, each choosing to end it when they please. They are bad and it shows.

The theme of Beowulf had the good vs.evil theme to the story when the monster is Grendel is the monster and his mother also a threat to herot and Beowulf is the hero to solve the problems of Grendel is making. Beowulf is the hero in the story and Grendel is the villain. Beowulf is the faced with many trials throughout the story with unferth and the Grendel.

Beowulf: A New Telling, written by Robert Nye, is a book for adventurers who want to experience a time of good and evil. Beowulf came from an Anglo Saxon Poet around 700 AD in the Medieval time period. It was formed from an old English heroic epic poem. Beowulf: A New Telling was told in around 600 AD. Beowulf: A New Telling shows, if you know your strengths and your weaknesses, you will be able to conquer anything.

In the Epic poem of Beowulf, the theme is good vs. evil. But in the movie Hollywood made everything is different. Beowulf is not honest, women are sexually powerful, and the monsters are Hrothgar and Beowulf’s sons, etc. They added many things that were definitely now in the poem. If you read the poem then watching the movie you would be confused. You would be asking so many questions. But the current audience think good vs. evil is boring.

In the fictional epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is a hero that can defeat any monsters and he saves towns from their wraths. Although the battles between Beowulf and the various monsters may seem clear cut as good versus evil, Beowulf has a mix of both humble and selfish intentions behind each battle. In each of the three battles in the book, Beowulf does something to create a more difficult battle for himself to appear stronger and better. Against Grendel, Beowulf restricted himself from using weapons because when he would win, he would look that much better. When Grendel’s mother fought Beowulf, he kept his men from helping him and fought the beast himself. Against the dragon in his final battle, he used weapons and the help of his men and quantified it because he was older than he was against Grendel. Beowulf set the bar too high and each battle after the first made him seem weaker and weaker. But in each battle, Beowulf challenges himself unnecessarily to appear as a better warrior.

Throughout history we have seen different kind of battles and duels, but all of this confrontations have always represented the good vs. the evil. There has been demons, monster, and even the mind of a human itself, but good has always found a way to keep the world balanced. There has always been different ways in which evil has been presented, but I believe that the most awful and dreadful one is the devil. The devil controls every other dreadful creature in the world, he is the reason why evil exists. Even though we always picture monster and demons as the representation of evil, humans can also be evil, and we can be even worse.

Beowulf is an epic Anglo-Saxon poem, which tells a story of a hero who is destined to defeat several monsters in order to save a kingdom from peril. The underlying meaning is good versus evil with good always prevailing in the end. The theme of good versus evil was portrayed through the characters and events. Beowulf is the good guy fighting against evil. Beowulf is not just one person fighting against the evils of the world. In many cases, he is fighting for humanity’s sake.

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.

Beowulf is an epic poem whose earliest surviving copy was written in 1000 A.D. The story consists of three thousand one hundred and eighty two lines that follow the life of the title character. The original author of the epic poem is unknown mainly because it started as a verbal tale passed down orally through the ages. Finally someone wrote it down in a document now called the Nowell Codex. The epic tale is centered on Beowulf and his actions in an adventure to repay a debt owed by his father to Hrothgar, a Danish king. A gargantuan monster that is terrorizing Hrothgar’s mead hall is Beowulf’s target and Beowulf sails across the sea to aid his father’s

In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the story’s most universal theme. The storyteller is very clear who is good and who is evil, Beowulf represents the good and the ability to act selflessly when help is needed from others. Good is also shown throughout the epic as having the ability to abolish villainy. Evil is presented by Grendel, his mother, and a dragon, whose purpose in life is to make the lives of humanity a little more miserable.