Good vs. evil In the epic poem Beowulf, written by Seamus Heaney, the three battles that Beowulf goes through all show the common characteristic of the universal theme good versus evil. Good versus evil is shown from the beginning to end, in the beginning of the epic poem it starts off calm and peaceful explaining what is going on, who is who, everything is all good and happy. Then to keep the balance of the universe something evil comes along, Grendel, the narrator comes to say “So times were pleasant for the people there until finally one, fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world” (Heaney 99-101). There always needs to be balance in the universe …show more content…
The evil in this case is how the Grendel, Grendel’s mother or the dragon can not be easily defeated by anyone or anything, but to balance that out the universe helps Beowulf by giving him the super strength, power and weapons to defeat them. In the first battle to occur it is clear to see how the universe or in Anglo-Saxon belief God gives him the power to defeat Grendel “No weapons, therefore, for either this night: unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares. And may the divine lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit” (683-687). Beowulf ends up defeating Grendel with his super strength granted to him by God. Beowulf then also defeats Grendel’s mother with an immortal weapon, as written by Heaney, “Then he saw a blade that boded well, a sword in her armoury, an ancient heirloom from the days of the giants, an ideal weapon” (1557-1559). As read from the text one can see how Beowulf’s sword, given to him as a gift from Unferth, just breaks and does not harm Grendel’s mom until he reaches for the sword made by the giants in ancient times.With all this in mind one can see how even if there is an obstacle with defeating these monsters the universe/God gives Beowulf the power needed to overcome the
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.
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.
Beowulf is widely regarded as a classic “good versus evil” story. The Beowulf-poet depicts Grendel, his mother and the dragon as the “evil” of this dichotomy. This raises an interesting question concerning the idea of a community: How exactly is “good” distinguished from “evil” in an absolute sense? Given that the Beowulf-poet expresses a tone suggesting that the pagan figures are the evil ones, it is clear that he is biased in his treatment. Still, this tone contradicts some of the events that play out in the epic. Building upon this, one could argue that the distinguishing of this good-evil dichotomy is relative; what is considered “evil” to the Beowulf-poet may be considered “good” from another’s perspective. With this moral relativism in mind, a psychology of confusion is established in the reader that creates a sense of uncertainty concerning one’s values in shaping a community.
Before a time of light, people usually go through a time of darkness and struggle until they persevere through it. The struggles and darkness that Beowulf goes through allow him to prove what he is made of. In Beowulf, through the hero's victorious battles, the author paints a detailed distinction between light and dark. The story heavily depicts light and dark imagery, through the battles of good and evil, in which light ends up victorious.
In a series of battles in which Beowulf defeats all the evils shows that man could overcome evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, from“for the proof, hanging high...was the monster’s arm, claw and shoulder and all.” to notice that the body of Grendel which are hung high, is a symbol of Beowulf’s victory and Grendel’s lose. There are many swords shown in this epic. However, neither of them do their jobs. Because Beowulf believes “If weapons were useless he’d use his hands, the strength in his fingers.” Here is a symbol of man’s strength which are given by God. Beowulf’s last battle is with the dragon who guard a treasure without using it. Just as the dragon devotes himself to protect his treasure-trove, Beowulf ends his life to kill the dragon and win the peace and treasure for his people. However, the treasure is neither used by dragon nor the people but buried with the greatest warrior Beowulf as a mighty and honor reward. As a result, Beowulf comes to be a hero who is symbolic as light and good whereas Grendel, Grendel’s mother and dragon are evils who are represented bloody, darkness and
While the classic battle between good and evil forces is a major theme of the medieval epic Beowulf, one may question whether these good and evil forces are as black and white as they appear. Scholars such as Herbert G. Wright claim that “the dragon, like the giant Grendel, is an enemy of mankind, and the audience of Beowulf can have entertained no sympathy for either the one or the other” (Wright, 4). However, other scholars such as Andy Orchard disagree with this claim, and believe that there is “something deeply human about the ‘monsters’” (Orchard, 29). While Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are indeed portrayed as evil and violent foes, there are parts within Beowulf that can also lead a reader to believe that the “monsters” may not be so monstrous after all. In fact, the author of Beowulf represents the “monsters” within the poem with a degree of moral ambivalence. This ambivalence ultimately evokes traces of sympathy in the reader for the plight of these “monster” figures, and blurs the fine line between good and evil within the poem.
evil in Beowulf is during his fight with the dragon. The dragon is a venomous serpent hoarding tons of gold and treasure. Beowulf at this point has defeated Grendel and Grendel’s mother, so he has no need to prove his strength or bravery to anybody. The dragon is so scary and evil that almost all of Beowulf’s “loyal” men abandon him. Beowulf refuses to give up against the forces of evil so himself and his most loyal companion: Wiglaf, pursue the dragon. Beowulf clearly doesn 't have as much strength as he used to, as his strikes just deflect off of the dragon’s scales. Beowulf refuses to give up and he ultimately kills the dragon at the cost of his own
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.
The glory is given to God at that very moment, “The monster wrenched and wrestled with him but Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength, the wondrous gifts God had showered on him: He relied for help on the Lord of All, on His care and favour. So, he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute” (1269-1274). The “wondrous gifts” and strength in Beowulf is credited to God, who is on Beowulf’s side always in battle. Also, the great feat of defeating the evil monster, Grendel, shows that Beowulf is blessed and highly favored. Not only did Beowulf defeat Grendel, but he did it without any weapons. Gods power was instilled in Beowulf, to defeat evil with his bare hands. Beowulf showed a great amount of faith in God no matter what problems or evil he faced, and God rewarded him with victory, great legacy, and
In society, cruelty often leads to dehumanization, but it can also be the reaction to dehumanization. Perpetrators are either idolized or villainized, while victims tend to be blamed for the actions committed against them. In Beowulf, cruelty is used as a social crutch, as well as a symbol of humanity, or the lack thereof. Barbarity, and the intent behind it, is what makes the heroes and the villains one and the same in Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf.
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.
Good, is portrayed by God, and evil seems to be what fate has in store for the
Beowulf begins with Grendel attacking the Danes out of vengeance and hatred. Grendel is the relative of Cain which means that he is outcast to eternal darkness as punishment for the crime of Cain killing his brother Abel. Therefore, when Grendel hears laughter in the hall named Heorot, he is angry and a little envious, so he goes on a killing spree in order to put an end to the warriors’ happiness. Because of Grendel’s attack upon the Danes, Beowulf arrives in order to put an end to the killing spree: “And now alone I shall settle affairs with Grendel the monster, the demon” (Donaldson, p.8). The author offers no other solution to solving this issue with Grendel but battle, and after the battle is fought and Beowulf wins, Grendel’s hand is preserved as a trophy. Beowulf is rewarded with gifts for his courage, and now the Danes are at peace.
There are many characteristics that make up the Germanic code in the Anglo-Saxon culture spread throughout Beowulf.. The author shows that Beowulf is the archetypal Germanic hero through his fate, trust, and reputation.
The oldest epic poem of the Anglo-Saxon period is the tale of good and evil. The crusade of heaven and hell, the bloody war that waged between our hero Beowulf and the infamous Grendel and his mother. But there seem to be two sides to this heroic and yet tragic story of these troubled and arrogant souls.