The Victim and the Beast The Legendary Epic, “Beowulf” and the novel, “from Grendel” are very different in many ways. Beowulf tells the story of a legendary hero, and how he slays the evil monster Grendel. Grendel causes much death, destruction and grief, with his blood-thirsty rampages on the town of Herot and needs to be killed. The battle between Grendel and Beowulf represent the battle of good versus evil. Upon Grendels defeat, Beowulf is looked upon as a great hero.
In the novel, Beowulf, the main character is the epitome of an epic hero. He has great strength, he is morally sound, and, for the most part, he thinks of others before he thinks of himself. Beowulf comes to the Geats’ aid when an evil monster named Grendel terrorizes their mead hall. He courageously defeats the monster and defeats the monster’s vengeful mother. Through these battles, Beowulf’s strength, humbleness and courageousness is revealed.
What Really Makes A Leader? Beowulf is an epic that represents a clear divide between good and evil. As the story twists and turns into different but connected conflicts, Beowulf is seen as a prominent hero figure. Beowulf is called on to fight three different monsters that threaten the civility of everyday life. What defines a leader?
Violence of Man The poem “The Grauballe Man” is a look at the brutality and beauty of our world’s violent history. This bog body that we have named Grauballe Man was found in Denmark in 1952, and had been laying, waiting, for over three millennia to be found. The bog in which he was entombed contained natural preservatives that kept him whole so that someday we may find him and learn more about the world, and ourselves. Seamus Heaney wrote this poem and dedicated it to the Grauballe Man in hopes that we would step back and look at our own past, however brutal it may be. In the first few lines of the poem, the poet gives the deceased body emotion.
II. Beowulf fights Grendel. Beowulf shows goodness and bravery volunteering to stand up to the Grendel that has been eating the people of Herot. "I have heard moreover that the monster scorns in his reckless way to use weapons; therefore, to heighten Hygelac's fame and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend." (433-440) It shows that Beowulf is fair because he fights Grendel with out any weapons.
The battle was over, Beowulf had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped, But wounded as he was could flee to his den, its miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh. Only to die, to wait for the end” (lines 498-503). Finally in Beowulf part two explains after the defeat of Grendel and his mother he became king because since Beowulf had so much honor in battle, that people learned from him and is looked up to (pg 43). These steps that Beowulf went through define what an archetypal hero perfectly and this is why Beowulf is an archetypal hero. So to the following conclusion Beowulf is an archetypal epic hero because he carries both traits of both an archetypal and epic hero.
Good Versus Evil in Beowulf An anonymous Anglo-Saxon author composed Beowulf, an epic poem, in which good triumphs against evil. A variety of despicable monsters constantly threaten the people of Denmark providing a need for a noble warrior, Beowulf. The repetitive struggle to save humanity demonstrates the forces of good versus evil through The Battle with Grendel, The Battle with Grendel’s Mother, and The Battle with the Dragon. The initial battle, The Battle with Grendel, begin the fight of good versus evil. Grendel, a savege beast, continually devoured the people of Denmark, bloodthirsty, “ He moved quickly through the cloudy night […] Towards that shinning hall”(289-291).
Throughout his adventures, Beowulf is fighting against evil, whether it is Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, or the dragon. Beowulf’s, journey to save a kingdom is threatened by evil. In the epic poem, there are many symbols of goodness. The epic hero, Beowulf is the essential source of goodness. Beowulf’s goodness is described in his battle against evil, symbolized by Grendel, one of the monsters defeated by him.
Beowulf Summary Beowulf is an epic, a long narrative poem written about a hero or heroine and their journeys and accomplishments. Beowulf is an esteemed warrior and leader in the Geat nation. In the beginning of the story, Beowulf travels with several other Geat warriors to the Denmark. The Danish nation is in distress, because a creature named Grendel has been terrorizing the famous Heorot hall, built as a symbol of strength by King Hrothgar. Beowulf and his men spend a night in the hall, awaiting Grendel’s attack.
A quest myth is format for a story, in which a man, many times accompanied by an assistant, goes on a dangerous journey to fight for a trophy. This trophy is something that they bring back, such as gold, swords, armor, or many times safety for the people. The prize is not just for the hero’s own personal gain or glory, but also for other people around them. The structure of a quest myth is underlying in all stories from the earliest, Beowulf, to the more recent. In Beowulf, the protagonist must go through several challenges in order to complete the story.