Good And Evil In The Epic Of Beowulf

Lurking evil combatted by bravado and strength appears throughout the poem. Right from the start, the author addresses the conflict. “Times were pleasant for the people there,” the epic begins, “until finally one, a fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world.” However, Beowulf quickly rushes to the people’s aid. “When he heard about Grendel, [Beowulf] was on home ground, over in Geatland. There was no one else like him alive. In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth.” Two other villains in the story also utilize this same theme, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon. This tenuous balance between forces of good, and the underlying malice of the villain resolves only with the mutual death of Beowulf and his final foe, the Dragon. Beowulf’s first encounter against Grendel also introduces the lurking theme of bravado clashing against evil. Preceding the

After defeating Grendel’s mother, Beowulf grew old and reigned well for 50 years, but the conflict still lingered in the air. Guarding a great deal of gold and jewels rests a fierce dragon. On one occasion, “the dragon began to belch out flames and burn bright homesteads: there was a hot flow that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger would leave nothing alive in his wake.” This foe terrorizes the people of Beowulf’s domain, and the dragon must fall (never mind the monetary reward of the treasure if Beowulf triumphs over the dragon). Beowulf gears up for a fight with his classic boastful speech, saying “as the king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning…I shall win the gold by my courage, or else mortal combat.” Even 50 years later, Beowulf retains his youthful zeal which continues to grant him victory after victory. This time, all the suspense building throughout the poem culminates in a final explosion of bravado and flames, and the battle settles the conflict once and for