In the land of Denmark, Beowulf is a true hero in the eyes of the Danes, yet a “Monster” to Grendel and his mother. In all situations, good vs. evil exists. However, the perception of good and/or evil is in the eye of the beholder. For example, king Hrothgra is a well-respected leader held in the highest regards of the people of Heorot. Sadly, Opposing king Hrothgra’s goodness is the horrible swamp dwelling, demonic Monster, named Grendel who terrorizes and kills innocent Danes for simply enjoying themselves and having a good time.
The energy that they invested into destroying the lives of the kingdoms that they invaded, and just the way these heathens carried out so much harm to the people that they came in contact with, was beyond cruel. The author Jonathan Clements gives a in-depth historic movement of the views from those that encountered the Viking nation. The medieval chronicles of Norse sagas was deep and hand me thinking these people were truly crazy and very much out of their mind. Odin who the Vikings worshiped as their lord of lord and mythical god can be seen as a controller. I can’t honestly believe that they took this god so serious and believe in his Aesir tribe.
Evil to depict the differences of Grendel and the humans. Another example of this theme from Beowulf is, “A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, Ending the grief, the sorrow, the suffering Forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people By a bloodthirsty fiend” (Beowulf, Canto 12 Lines 830-833). This quote emphasizes the distinct contrast of good and evil in Beowulf. The author characterizes Beowulf as an admirable hero, and a clear-cut “good guy” in the story. Conversely, the author describes Grendel as a
Hoan Truong Mrs. Masters CP English 11 October 28 2011 Purity from Within Good v. evil played as an extremely important theme in both the Beowulf and Grendel text. In Beowulf, Grendel, the mean bloodthirsty monster, obviously represents evil; killing innocent human lives because of his mechanical animalistic behaviors. Beowulf on the other hand was looked up to as a hero. In the human perspective; he was described as strong, courageous hero. In contrast Gardner portrayed Grendel and Beowulf completely different than how Orwell did.
In the poem, Beowulf, a Geat hero, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who is attacking the Danish mead hall called Herot; Grendel’s mother, and later in his life, an unnamed dragon. The author uses alliterative verse as the principal structuring device to unify the poem, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. Besides the technical aspects of the poem, Beowulf is rich in Anglo-Saxon traditions. In the epic, there is an immense amount of violence that is accepted with different feelings by other characters. The two main forms of violence are preformed by Grendel, the main antagonist of the poem and by Beowulf - the hero of the story.
Grendel is a murderous creature who has been killing off the Danes for 12 years without any mercy. He has caused great strife for the King of the Danes, King Hrothgar, and cannot easily be defeated. To be such a successful villain, a character must possess certain qualities. Although he does not survive his battle with Beowulf, Grendel is a masterful villain because he has superhuman qualities, he has repulsive physical characteristics, and he shows no mercy towards his victims. The first reason Grendel makes a great villain is his superhuman qualities.
This is manifested through his self-sacrificing mentality, confrontation with the devil, and his unequally loyal disciples. Beowulf and his men set out to Denmark in order to set free King Hrothgar’s kingdom from the grip of the monster Grendel. Beowulf made it known that he wanted to battle Grendel. “The monster’s thoughts were as quick as his…claws: He…snatched up thirty men, smashed them…and ran out with their bodies” (119-122). Beowulf
The dichotomies are used throughout the story, but the one that sticks out the most is good to evil. In the first of Beowulf’s three battles, he fights Grendel, an "Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend/Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild /Marshes, and made his home in a hell.”[Lines 101-108] Grendel attacked the people
The monster acts with extreme selfishness and from that comes unethical behaviour and actions. After not getting what he wanted, he promises to destroy Victor’s life and threatens him, by saying “I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night" (137). The monster decides to unrightfully take revenge on Victor. The monster is so self-centred that it is incapable of acting ethical, and that its actions are solely to achieve its horrific goal. The above quote also ties in with one of the themes of the book, which is monstrosity.
Beowulf an Archetypal Hero Beowulf, A New Telling, the epic novel by Robert Nye tells an adventurous tale about Beowulf defeating the deadly, malicious Grendel and the fiercely, terrorizing firedrake. Beowulf is challenged and inspired to help the Danes, and agrees to fight Grendel. He also faces the firedrake that is out to get revenge for the geat slave stealing the goblet. As a result of Beowulf accepting the two challenges, defeating Grendel and over coming the firedrake, Beowulf is classified to be an archetypal hero. Beowulf demonstrated various challenges in proving himself an archetypal hero.