Their berserker qualities, though similar, are used with different motivations and, though the two works are from different cultures, the heroes in both have similarities in action and heart that link the Celts and Anglo-Saxons evidenced through ambition for renown. Both Cuchulainn and Beowulf are exemplary berserkers in literature. A berserker is defined as a member of a group of ancient Norse warriors who fought with wild unrestrained aggression. Cuchulainn became so lost in the frenzy of battle that he almost attacked his own people. He said, “I swear by the oath of Ulster’s people that if a man isn’t found to fight me, I’ll spill the blood of everyone in this court.”(Reidhead 127) upon returning to Emain Macha, which was then his home.
Beowulf is often lionized as a courageous soul, a fearless leader, and an epic hero. He jumps into battle against monsters and creatures without a worry or fear of death and annihilation. His belief in providence makes him brave, but simultaneously irrational and dumb. Readers of Beowulf usually look only at his positive characteristics such as his legacy, strength, perseverance, pride, and alignment with the heroic code. Readers also question whether or not Beowulf is a true epic hero or just an idiot leader.
This monster was “A powerful demon, a prowler through the dark…a fiend out of hell, who began to work his evil in the world. Grendel was the name of this grim demon” (Heaney). This quote taken from the start of Beowulf brands the reader with a terrifying and nearly demonic view of Grendel right from the beginning. According to the Danes, Grendel is a monster. His pathetic existence is
Compare the ways in which Shakespeare and Stephenson presents the theme of evil through the characters of Macbeth and Jekyll and Hyde In ‘Macbeth’, to an Elizabethan audience the evil being explored is that of killing a king. Regicide to the Elizabethan’s was an act against God. In the Victorian novella ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, Stephenson is exploring the horror and evil of science used for personal gain. Shakespeare and Stephenson use these characters ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ as vehicles to explore the themes of violence, ambition, evil, power, desire to have a better life and guilt. Essentially, they are both great mean who have a position in society but each has a fatal flaw.
Mary Shelley uses many language devices to portray conflict in the novel Frankenstein. In chapter 5, Mary Shelley uses alliteration to convey to the reader the emotional conflict the monster is forced to face. Victor finally finishes his creation and observes its appearance: “I beheld the wretch -- the miserable monster who I created”. This suggests to the reader that Victor is not pleased with his creation as he calls him a “monster”; the word “monster” makes the reader visualize a horrendous, spine-chilling, eerie creation creating a dark ambience. Furthermore, the author uses feelings to describe the monster.
Beowulf always wants attention and to know how others view him, but he is also a outcast. Beowulf is a balance between beginnings and endings of youth and age. Beowulf and Grendel had a constant theme in common it was how much they both focused on what others thought of them then actually turning into what the humans viewed them as. Grendel and Beowulf are two different types of heroes, Grendel is considered a anti-hero and Beowulf is considered a stereotypical hero. In Grendel he is a anti-hero because he
Throughout the play he is constantly being referred to as a “toad”, “bloody dog” and a “boar” and this explores his “foul” nature and his lack of humanity. This recurring animal imagery serves to raise the question of whether a person can become so corrupted with evil that they cease to be truly human. This is true in ‘Richard III’ but it changes with the context for ‘Looking for Richard’. Despite the fact that Pacino himself apparently agrees with Shakespeare when he says that Richard “does not have his own humanity, that he’s lost it”, we as an audience, are brought to a place where we feel a very human sympathy towards Richard who is isolated and confused. This is conveyed by the facial expressions of regret which is emphasised by the close up camera on Kevin Spacey’s face.
Innocence to Monstrous People encounter various obstacles throughout life that may alter their behavior. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and William Shakespeare’s Othello, The Monster and Othello experience a significant transformation from innocent to monstrous. Both grow negatively with the assistance of their antagonists, who are The Monster’s creator Victor Frankenstein, and Othello’s standard bearer Iago. Both The Monster and Othello undergo the transformation of being genuinely good-hearted characters looking out for what is best for themselves and other individuals, into unrestrained monsters through instability, both mentally and physically by being denied by others, and betrayal by important figures in their lives. This leads to morally
The monster comes into the world by a pretty terrible set of circumstances. He has the strength of a giant, yet an infant mind. He has a gentle nature, yet his physical defects hide his goodness and make everyone fear and mistreat him. He is rejected by his own creator because of his hideous looks. His feelings are the most deep and moving of any character’s in this novel, as well as the most conflicted.
Kubra Akyuz Dr. Roy Literature 104 Essay 1 Good Triumph over Evil Beowulf is one of the earliest surviving Anglo-Saxon epic poems. It illustrates the story of Beowulf, an epic hero fated to triumph demonic monster in order to save a kingdom from destruction. In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the main theme. The epic poem portrays Beowulf’s experiences coming from land of the Geats to save Danes. Throughout his adventures, Beowulf is fighting against evil, whether it is Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, or the dragon.