We All Have The Mark Of Cain Analysis

We All Have the Mark of Cain

All humans have the Mark of Cain. Monsters are born among them; sometimes hidden deep within their own selves. In the epic poem Beowulf, the battle between man and monster is told. The monsters are said to have the mark of Cain; their bloodline forever punished by God for the crime of Abel’s death. The protagonist Beowulf defeats these monsters, but in some ways becomes one himself; the question then arises: Is Beowulf really a hero? However, what makes this poem so intriguing is not just the battles between hero vs. villain; but rather the poet's power of expression in using stylistic devices to synthesize his material in an appealing manner. The power is enriched by the way the poet conveys a thought or emotion using poetic diction, Christian jargon, symbolism, imagery and other devices to appeal to the reader's senses and emotions.

Strong, proud, courageous, and determined are all words that can be used to describe Beowulf. The poet who wrote Beowulf possibly had a strong Christian background, for bible jargon is used frequently throughout the poem. After Beowulf kills Grendel's mother, he describes the battle to his people referring to his enemy as “she-devil” and saying that he only

succeeded with the help the “Father in Heaven”. The word devil has a negative religious connotation that relates to evil; therefore, leading the reader to associate Beowulf as holy for he is fighting evil with the Almighty God’s help. The perception of Beowulf is also augmented through the use of euphonious diction used when Beowulf defeats Grendel's mother saying that “brilliant light shone, suddenly/as bright as heaven's own candle, lit in the sky,” the word choice gives imagery of a warm glow aura; moreover, in the bible light is often used as a symbol for holiness so the light that shines is a symbol of God's approval of Beowulf's murder of the monster. This makes the reader perceive Beowulf as if he is on the right hand of God, fulfilling god's wishes. Beowulf is described as holy and righteous in this poem; however, the monsters a form created by all things evil and sinful.
Holy Beowulf vs.

unholy monsters is a theme in the poem Beowulf. The monster Grendel is described as “savage” with “lust for evil.” The bible jargon denotative diction of the word lust is seen in the bible to be one the biggest sins that befall men; this makes the reader see Grendel in more dark and evil light. At one point in the poem, Beowulf rips the arm of Grendel, the author describes the event using cacophonous diction, “bleeding sinews in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split;” this description of Beowulf ripping off of Grendel's arm is violent and the onomatopoeic diction of snapped and split suggests harsh sounds that the reader can both hear and visualize. With Beowulf using such violence and gore to kill Grendel is he really a

hero?
Although Beowulf is portrayed to be a hero, he lacks the luster that is commonly seen in stories about heroes. Beowulf is human, having the same ancestry of the monsters that are born with the mark of Cain. Even in Beowulf’s heroic tales, he does evil villainous things. Beowulf kills Grendel's mother and “rejoices at the sight” of her ‘lifeless, dead body and her cut through neck;’ understated diction is used in this event to mask the dark side of Beowulf. Humans have their sins and are not perfect. Even if Beowulf doesn’t have the mark of Cain, he is just as monstrous in his killings; yet, he is still a hero for he saves lives.
Like humans, heroes have their imperfections. The poem Beowulf, through the stylistic devices and diction, tells a tale of monsters and heroes also describing human nature. Beowulf--although imperfect-- he still remains a hero in God’s favor through the end. Like Beowulf and the monsters, humans are imperfect. Given the right circumstances the mark of Cain can grow and manifest to form a monster like Grendel; and like Beowulf, the brave and courageous who took on monsters, one may become a monster themselves.As Nietzsche once said,“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.”