Good Vs Evil In Beowulf

916 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Beowulf epic hero character traits

Throughout history, literature has portrayed a variety of character arcs. This ranges from the vengeful hero to the sympathetic villain to the chaotic anti-hero. Yet the further back through time written works go, the simpler the characters portrayed. In the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf, the characters of Beowulf and Grendel are the least complex version of heros and villains ever created. They fall under all the typical traits of these arcs. Beowulf is strong, vain, and seeks further enlightenment via the path of endless adventure. There are no qualities he possesses that may indicate any depth to his beliefs or weaknesses. The same can be seen in the character of Grendel. Simply put, he is the incarnation of evil. The concept of good vs evil is portrayed in Beowulf …show more content…

Examples of characters that do portray this are Thor from the Avengers franchise, Raoul from Phantom Of The Opera, and even Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. All of these heros share traits with Beowulf, like being selfless, courageous, and a tad narcissistic. Yet they all also have other defining characteristics, ranging from selfishness to persistent to holier than thou. Beowulf is by all means the perfect hero, and that in and of itself is why he is not the ideal character. He is too perfect. Even when he does have a flaw, such as the tendency of breaking swords during fights, it is explained “...his hand was too strong, the stroke he dealt / … would ruin it” (2686-2687). These sort of characters in modern media are seen as jokes or for young children. If Beowulf was written today, it would just be an obscure book that would be sold among the harlequin novels in grocery stores across the nation. This does shows the evolution of literature, and how an epic poem from over a thousand years ago could be a masterpiece, yet similar modern stories can not hold up to the current literary

Show More
Related

  • Elements Of Evil In Beowulf

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    In times before printed books were common, stories and poems were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. From such oral traditions come great epics such as England’s heroic epic, Beowulf. In Beowulf, the monster Grendel serves as the evil character acting against the poem’s hero, as shown by his unnatural strength, beast-like qualities, and alienation from society.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Evils In Beowulf

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epic poem Beowulf, an abundance of apparent evils such as the monsters. What about the not-so-apparent ones? Often the true evil hides behind what is obvious to us. In modern society, evil is everywhere because it resides inside society itself. Although the story of the warrior Beowulf is riddled with evil monsters, the true evil lies just beneath the surface.

    Read More

  • The Epic Of Grendel's Metaphamental Monsters In Beowulf

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Grendel may possess a brute strength, his lack of wit and logic is what ultimately leads to his downfall and demise. In Beowulf, the actions and character that of Beowulf, or an Epic Hero, define the perfect Anglo-Saxon warrior. Epic heroes are indicated by a variety of traits, including that they, “must look like a hero, they must be noble, famous, strong, courageous, humble, prideful, thick-skinned, self-sacrificing, faithful, focused, be a leader, and have a tragic flaw” (Jones 3). Unfortunately, aside from the ‘tragic flaw’ and ‘strong’ categories, Grendel’s character is antithetical to all characteristics of an Epic Hero. This makes him quite the villain, and a generally despicable character. “Suddenly then, / the God-cursed brute creating havoc: / greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men”

    Read More

  • Who Is Grendel A Hero

    597 Words  | 2 Pages

    An innocent, joyless, outcast lurks in the depths of the earth. He is feared by all due to his violent behavior and thirst for humans. Stories about this monster stretch across lands, intriguing the one and only Beowulf. In this notorious Epic, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Grendel is the Frankenstein of this poem, the Joker of this time period, the Lord Voldemort of this book. Basically, Grendel is the villain and when there’s a villain there’s a hero. Our hero today is Beowulf, who challenges Grendel and he trounced not only Grendel but Grendel’s mother as well. Not only are Grendel and his mother villains but they also played the role of being the outcast/scapegoat. Symbolically they play the role

    Read More

  • grendelbeo Epic of Beowulf Essay - The Evil of Grendel

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story of Beowulf, written during Anglo-Saxon times, is a classic epic tale between good versus evil.  It is a story that gives us insight into the values of the Anglo-Saxon people.  The Anglo-Saxons glorified heroism and the conquering of evil.  In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, the character of Grendel symbolically represents evil through his setting and heritage, his hateful attitude toward men, and his vicious acts of murder.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain vs Beowulf

    2062 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...ash between good and evil. Beowulf is a representation of a Godly figure, possibly Christ, whereas his enemies represent figures of darkness, possibly Satan. Due to his battle with Grendel, Beowulf realises the true abilities of Gods power and develops into a more Saint like character who is more concerned with giving help rather than Gaining fame. He seeks Gods guidance, but looks to pagan ideals when he deems so. Although he never completely takes complete advantage of Gods power, he does earn the fame and glory that he fought bravely for.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Comparison Essay

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    From this novel, the audience is able to get into the mind of this monster and feel his pain, loneliness, and misunderstanding as well as come to realize that Grendel is no monster at all, but rather he represents a reflection of man. Although you could argue that man is a monster himself in this story through the merciless and barbaric actions of the humans, especially Beowulf. Beowulf is represented minimally throughout the story, whereas in “Beowulf” he is shown with much more valor. However, In Gardner's Grendel, Beowulf is depicted as a cruel and narcissistic man. For example, Grendel describes Beowulf as a irrational and greedy man, “He’s crazy. I understand him all right, make no mistake. Understand his lunatic theory of matter and mind, the chilly intellect, the hot imagination, blocks and builder, reality as stress”(Gardner 172). Beowulf does not possess the same qualities in Grendel has he does in the epic poem, “Beowulf.” This is due to the contrasting perspectives of the same character in each book. Like the narrator in Beowulf, Grendel is biased because of his intuitive dislike for humans as well as Grendel’s knowledge that Beowulf is seeking to destroy him. Grendel is also an outcast and monitors the day-to-day lives of the Danish people. His opinions of the people are formed based off of what he observes, sees, and hears. This gives Grendel’s opinions of the

    Read More

  • Grendel's Honor In The Epic Of Beowulf

    595 Words  | 2 Pages

    Theses two characters portray both concepts of good (light) v. evil (dark). Though they were both powerful forces, victory came to only one strong entity. The good in the world is seen with Beowulf, a strong, powerful, and confident leader who wills his life for the protection and common good of society. Grendel is responsible for the chaos and pandemonium of all things sinister in

    Read More

  • Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rough Draft Beowulf is littered with a myriad of literary devices that are intended to enhance the story, whether it’s something that ties into Old English such as kenning or even as simple as imagery. All of these elements come together to make a riveting story filled with gracious heroes and chilling villains. The harrowing tale begins with a quaint story that is well packed with details to prelude the readers to the upcoming adventure. In many aspects, the literary device known as symbolism plays an important role in the overall essence of the story. Furthermore, symbolism creates an underlying tone and atmosphere for the whole story.

    Read More

  • Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf And Burton Raffel

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, fairy tales, stories and legends have shared a common theme where good and evil are played against each other. In the story of “Beowulf”, translated by, “Burton Raffel”, there is a hero who plays as a good character, and there is also a demon who rules the dark side. The hero Beowulf, agrees to take a journey to conquer the evil monster Grendel. But when Beowulf is trying to defeat the beast, Grendel fights back, causing integrity and generosity to vanish. The common theme in various tales like in Beowulf is, good vs. evil.

    Read More

  • The Evil Within

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Both Grendel and Beowulf, there is conflict. The conflict is betwixt the themes of light and dark, Paganism vs. Christianity, and Man vs. Beast. Grendel, the main character in Grendel and the secondary character in Beowulf, faces external battles but the most important battle take place internally. John Gardener recognized the basis for Grendel’s predicament which is “his [Grendel] stubborn cling to skepticism and cold, hard reason. . .” (Grendel’s Geis). Though there are many different themes present in both stories, there is one theme that remains consistent throughout out both. This theme is the lack of acceptance. Grendel’s in-acceptance is rooted in his lack of understanding of the world and its functions. As a result of the many things that have taken place in Grendel’s life, he is perceived as evil yet, not because he wants to be. He is misunderstood and not accepted. Much of Grendel’s evil wrongdoing comes as a result of lack of acceptance, lack of communication, and his ignorance.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as a Reflection of Anglo-Saxon Values

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.

    Read More

  • Good vs. Evil in "Beowulf"

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.

    Read More

  • Anglo-Saxon Essay: Religion's Role In Beowulf

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    The actions are pretrade as morally wrong and antisocial. On the other hand, the characters, such as Beowulf live within the moral and social boundaries. The contrast between Grendel and Beowulf turns their conflicts from a fight into a battle between good and evil Grendel hates others and loves evil and suffering. Beowulf is the ideal goodness and his enemy, Grendel, is the personification of evil.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Beowulf and Grendel

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 reader’s perception of Grendel and his role in Beowulf by narrating the story through Grendel’s point of view. John Gardner transforms the perceived terrible evil fiend who is Grendel into a lonely but intelligent outcast who bears a striking resemblance to his human adversaries. In Grendel, John Gardner portrays Grendel as an intelligent being capable of rational thought as well as displaying outbursts of emotion. He portrays Grendel as a hurt individual and as a victim of oppression ostracized from civilization. The author of Beowulf portrays Grendel as the typical monster archetype as compared to John Gardner’s representation of Grendel as an outcast archetype.

    Read More

More about Good Vs Evil In Beowulf

Open Document