In the epic Beowulf, the Geatish warrior for which the story is named (Beowulf) sails across the sea with intention of slaying the terrible man-eating monster, Grendel. Beowulf is successful in this endeavor; mortally wounding Grendel by tearing his arm from its socket. Grendel's mother, a fearsome creature herself, is enraged by her son's death and seeks to avenge her son's death by killing Beowulf. However, Beowulf ventures to their lair; ultimately killing Grendel's mother as well.
Pagan elements are prevalent throughout the entire novel. The pagan tradition of blood-feuds is highlighted by Grendel's mother's determination to avenge his death by killing Beowulf herself. Pridefulness, loved by the pagans, is displayed with Beowulf's introduction
While many pagan influences appear in the poem, Christian overtones dominate. Many of the characters exhibit Christian characteristics. Beowulf has a Christ-like behavior in his good-heartedness and charity. Beowulf understands the plight of the Danes that are being oppressed by the evil monster Grendel just as Christ knew of the oppression of the Jewish people. Both set out on a venture to save their people. To free themselves from the monster, the Danes need a savior, and Beowulf, through his desire to disperse their suffering, comes to save them. When Beowulf battles Grendel, he exhibits a sense of fairness when he refuses to use a weapon. The idea throughout the poem of living right, of loyalty, and of being a good leader can all be seen as traits of Christ. Just as Beowulf exemplifies Christ, Grendel mirrors Satan. Beowulf and Grendel represent the Christian beliefs of good verse evil. Grendel is referred to as a descendant of Cain, whom Satan tricks into sinning and committing the first murder. He is the image of a man fallen from grace through sin. Like Satan who is jealous of the happiness and joy that Adam and Eve have in the Garden of Eden, Grendel is jealous of the happiness and joy in Heorot. Grendel, as with Satan, is an adversary of God and poses a great challenge to Beowulf. Grendel lives in an underworld as Satan lives in hell. Grendel is referred to in the poem as "the guardian of
Beowulf is an old Anglo-Saxon story of a terrifying monster Grendel, Grendel travels to the Danes mead hall Heorot and while the danes expect it least he attacks killing countless men purely for the joys of doing so. Hrothgar king of the Danes calls for a warrior to fight this unruly beast. After 12 long years of grendel attacking Hrothgar's calls are answered and the great warrior Beowulf comes to kill Grendel. Beowulf travels to the land of the Danes from across the seas and in the first night he kills Grendel. Sadly for Beowulf Grendel has a mother that now seeks revenge for her son's death and Beowulf is asked to kill Grendel’s mother as well. Beowulf goes to where Grendel’s mother is staying and battled her to the death , Beowulf wins
In the following essay the topic that will be discussed is the differences between Grendel’s mother in both Beowulf. Paramount Pictures Corp. :, 2008. Film. and Beowulf & Grendel. Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2005. Film. Throughout the movies there are significant differences in the plot, the characters and how they’re related. Out of all the characters in the movies it is obvious that Grendel’s mother has the biggest contrast between the two movies. This essay will be discussion her role in the movies. Why is she important to the movies? Grendel’s mother, more than any other character changes dramatically between the two movies; Beowulf (2008) and Beowulf and Grendel (2005).
Though the two are both bloodthirsty and brutal, Beowulf is viewed as a hero by the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture, while Grendel is viewed as a monster. Beowulf is described after battle as being "boltered in the blood of enemies" (29), and Grendel after battle is described as "gorged and bloodied". Both are coated in the blood of others, however, both are viewed differently based on whose blood it is. Since Beowulf is coated in he Danes' enemies blood, he is viewed as a hero, however, Grendel is coated in the blood of the Danes, he is viewed as a monster. This emphasizes the brutality of the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. Furthermore, both Beowulf and Grendel are excited to kill others. After Beowulf kills Grendel's mother, "the sword dripped blood, and the swordsman was elated" (109). Before Grendel attacks Heorot, "his glee was demonic picturing the mayhem" (49). Both are described as happy about murdering others. Through this, the Christian monks imply that since Grendel's joy is viewed as "demonic", Beowulf's joy must also be demonic, thus condemning the warrior culture. Additionally, both Beowulf and Grendel attack their victims when the victims cannot do anything about it. During nighttime, Grendel "come[s] to slaughter the sleeping troops" (109). After Grendel is killed, Beowulf "saw the monster in his resting place... Beowulf cut the corpse's head off" (109). Attacking somebody when they are vulnerable is cruel and
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.
Beowulf, king of the Geats, engages in battles in order to protect his community from physical creatures while King Arthur’s knights engage in spiritual battles against evil temptation which lurks around every corner. Beowulf proudly displays his prowess before he must confront Grendel, the “God-cursed brute” when he declares with bold confidence that he “can calm the turmoil” (Heaney 11, 21). Beowulf boasts of his strength, pledging to kill Grendel with his bare hands. Grendel, the cursed descendant of Cain, enjoys death and destruction, ruining Hrothgar’s reputation with every attack on his kingdom. The monster kills one of his men, angering the Thanes and encouraging them to fight
In several ways, Grendel’s Mother could be seen as The Dangerous Woman. In Beowulf, Grendel’s Mother is treacherous and fierce, which are common traits of Dangerous Women. However, Grendel’s Mother is missing a few key characteristics that are linked to the idea of The Dangerous Woman. Grendel’s Mother also relates multiple ways to women from Greek mythology.
In the story of Beowulf you get a glimpse of many different themes throughout this epic. Those themes range from good and evil to those of death and glory. The story itself depicts a period in history when life was lead "blind" through the teachings of the book of the lord and his spoken words. At this same period in history traditional pagan religious practices and beliefs have slowly given way to the ideals and philosophy of Christianity. Many of the themes held within the pages of Beowulf stem from the proverbs and fables recited and practiced in the Old Testament, while concurrently adding pagan beliefs of monsters, demons, and multiple gods. The most striking of these biblical comparisons is viewed between Grendel
When Grendel's mother arrives to torment the Danes, seeking vengeance for her son’s death, Beowulf’s fight with Grendel's mother
The story of Beowulf is a heroic epic chronicling the illustrious deeds of the great Geatish warrior Beowulf, who voyages across the seas to rid the Danes of an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourge of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel and his role in the epic poem. John Gardner in his book, Grendel set out to change the
A merger of pagan and Christian beliefs that occurs in the poem, “Beowulf” is the representation of Grendel. Grendel’s ancestry and evil denote Christian beliefs. Grendel is a descendant of
“[Grendel’s] mother had sallied forth on a savage journey,/ grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge” (Beowulf, 1276-1278). Her desire to avenge her son is carried out, but it ultimately leads to her death. Beowulf’s desire to garner fame and respect overpowers all of the raw emotion and anger felt by Grendel’s mother. She serves the purpose of showing the purest form of revenge, and how its blindness can lead to one’s demise.
A poet, a teacher, an activist – These are all the things that Theodor Seuss Geisel managed to be. Geisel was born into the German family of Theodor Robert Geisel and Henrietta Seuss Geisel on March 2, 1904. He grew up having pride in his German background, but it all changed to shame after he experienced the torment of living through WWI. Despite the discouraging experiences he had during those times, they were not enough to stop the very talented “Dr. Seuss”. Geisel showed many that there were no boundaries to the imagination. Because of the hardships he had to overcome, the impact he left on young children, and the criticism he received from others, Theodor Seuss Geisel will always be remembered as the
Beowulf is seen as a christian figure sent in to rid the land of the evil monsters such as grendel who is seen to have a lucifer features. After grendel attacks the Herot killing 30 men,
In the poem Beowulf, the most evident theme is the importance of the Germanic heroic code. The heroic code was what made Beowulf so famous and god-like during his renowned life. The code is displayed in the opening lines of the poem and continued to show up throughout the duration of the poem. Heroism is often painted with a protagonist, which causes some acts of heroism to be overlooked when an antagonist follows the heroic code. Throughout the poem, there are many acts of heroism displayed, but many people overlook the way that Grendel’s mother followed the Germanic heroic code. Grendel’s mother follows the Germanic heroic code by showing courage, strength, and honor as Beowulf does throughout the poem, something that is frowned upon in the Anglo-Saxon culture.