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How Can Revenge Justified In Beowulf

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One of the biggest questions, not only in literature, but in natural life, is if revenge is an acceptable excuse to take a life? In simpler terms, can revenge, under any circumstance, ever be justified? People across time have tried to argue for and against the idea that taking a life for revenge is justifiable. People like Heinrich Heine, a German poet, journalist, and literary critic, believe that “we should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.” In other words, take revenge on enemies and then forgive what they have done. However, on the opposite spectrum are lobbyists of peace such as Ghandi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, who say “an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.” In other words, forgive …show more content…

In the opinion of the anonymous writer who wrote Beowulf, revenge can only lead to one unquestionable and unchangeable outcome–death. The poem Beowulf was written sometime in between the eight and tenth centuries and is a story about a man’s heroic quest to find fame through his God-given strength, courage, and generosity. In order to achieve the fame he seeks, he courageously volunteers to encounter three resilient mystical creatures in battle. All of which are inspired to inflict harm on others in the name of revenge. Interestingly, each one of the evil characters, Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the fire-breathing dragon, seek revenge for something that had affected their life. When Beowulf confronts and battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, at the core, every confrontation is because something is seeking revenge against something else. Intriguingly, every character who hunts for revenge, eventually looses their life in the end. In addition, each of the three monsters in this poem exemplify three human weaknesses: envy, jealousy, and revenge which seemingly all lead to a fixed outcome. That outcome being …show more content…

After the death of her son Grendel, Grendel’s mother yearned for vengeance for the person that ripped her son’s arm off, eventually causing the death of her son. In a conversation between King Hrothgar and Beowulf after the death of Grendel, Hrothgar claims that Grendel's mother is, "hiding, glutting on [Grendel's] corpse"(ll.1331-1332). Grendel's mother, just like any other parent would, mourns for the loss of her son. Even though Grendel's Mother is presented as an evil mystical character, she still inherits a common human trait–anger. She feels that she must return the pain that Beowulf had bestowed upon Grendel. This anger inspires her feelings for vengeance for it is hard to just forgive Beowulf after killing her son. Hrothgar continues in his conversation about Grendel’s Mother, "This force for evil [is] driven to avenge her kinsman's death"(ll. 1339-1340). The anger weld up inside Grendel's mother surrounds her like a cloud where the only thing she cares for and desires is revenge for her

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