The Elements Of Good And Evil In Beowulf

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.

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 poem Beowulf includes three battles where Beowulf has to defeat the monsters known as Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Although he is successful in defeating the three monsters, his preparation for fighting them, his motivation for going into battle, and the conclusions of the battles demonstrate similarities and differences.

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.

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.

When Beowulf and Grendel finally fight in Herot, the battle is similar to that of Jesus and Satan’s exchange of words in the garden of Gethsemane. Satan has tempted many men, but has never come across one so stubborn in his beliefs. Satan is unable to move Jesus and this shows Jesus’ triumph over the ultimate evil. Grendel, when he comes to Herot that fateful night is expecting an easy meal, but instead is thrown in face to face with a man of incredible strength and fighting skill. “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder…this was a different Herot than the hall he had emptied.”(433-439).

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

In the epic poem Beowulf the three battles are between internal good and monsters who embody evil shown through three battles. Beowulf is sent to Herot to rid the land of the evil by killing Grendel who is half monster and

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.

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 doesn’t 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. Even though evil is presented by Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and the dragon, who are filled with a desire to act against people and ultimately destroy them, even pride, a human quality, is presented in Beowulf as a sign that evil exists. This story might even be considered a classic because it mainly talks about the old fashion

In the epic poem of Beowulf, the distinction between dual aspects of good and evil is the tales most significant focal point. The Anglo-Saxon text utilizes many Christian characteristics but mainly refers to Paganism because of the violence throughout the book. The book is an old English text that was written to value these two aspects of representation. The epic poem is a tale that has been passed down for centuries about a young courageous hero by the name of Beowulf who strives for glory in order to defeat the vicious monsters that antagonize the story. The story takes place in the Land of the Danes and represents one who is loyal striving to keep their land safe and protected. Good and evil are dual aspects of representation in today’s society and Beowulf’s because the characters in the story represent present day struggles.

The idea of good versus evil is something that is present in many stories. Beowulf is no different and the notion that good always defeats evil is present throughout the story, with the titular character Beowulf representing the good that defeats the evils forces in Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon.

The theme I will be focusing on is man versus self. First we can look at the clear light in the main character and hero Beowulf. One of the most clear examples of Beowulf’s nobility and bravery is when he killed the first threatening monster of the story named Grendel. Grendel was a dark and evil monster from a place called the Fen which is a dark forest where evil spirits come from. We see Beowulf’s light when he grabs the Grendel’s arm and Grendel immediately tries to escape his grasp because he can not stand the light in Beowulf. Another important time we see Beowulf’s light is when he fights She, Grendel's mother. Beowulf is able to put the monster to sleep by simply declaring that he is Beowulf son of Beowulf which means that he is only controlled by himself and by stating this his light and goodness shine through which puts the monster She in a daze where he can strangle her. However throughout the book we also see how Beowulf is only so great because he can admit his weaknesses and