Light And Dark Imagery In Beowulf

Grendel’s mother, although initially threatening Beowulf’s heroic abilities, not only helps him grow as a hero and a warrior, but also makes him wiser and smarter in combat.

Beowulf’s struggle to defeat this creature is also shown through the poet’s use of imagery. Throughout Beowulf’s conquest in this underwater world, the use of imagery of darkness and light is important. The use of dark imagery of the lair symbolizes the living evil and contrasts to the usual use of the color gold to portray Beowulf and the world he lives in. For example, the poem includes a description of the swampy woods where Grendel’s mother lives. “At night there something uncanny happen: the water burns. And the mere bottom / has never been sounded by the sons of

men” (ll. 1365-1367). This eventually leads to Beowulf’s general disorientation in this unfamiliar environment. However, once Beowulf successfully kills and rids himself of Grendel’s mother and gets back on to land, it seems clear that he has undergone some sort of rebirth. This is shown through the sudden description of light erupting everywhere. “A light appeared and the place brightened / the way the sky does when heaven’s candle / is shining clearly” (ll. 1570-1572).