ver time, humans have always created stories and conjured up personifications of evil to explain the unknown - whether it was the myth of the vampire, spurred on by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the receding of skin that causes a corpse’s nails to appear longer, or the myth of Wendigos, a create of evil in Native American culture. Many cultures and civilizations, new and old, have their fairytales and monsters in the dark, to explain the unknown. We see this in Beowulf, where Grendel is a representation of Satanic evil in the Bible due to the heavy influence of faith in Germanic warrior society, as opposed to monsters in modern society such as the zombie, which is a reflection of evolving political fears. In Beowulf, the first antagonist the reader …show more content…
American culture, particularly within the last century, has morphed and changed with each different crisis. However, there is always a recurrent monster that haunts us: the decrepit zombie. A creature described as fear itself - “... gray-skinned and bloodied, missing a limb … arms reaching out for supple flesh … it hobbles over its own intestines and chatters its decaying teeth” (Crockett, 2016). In a 2016 Vox article, a sociopolitical evaluation of the zombie was observed through American culture; it all starts from 1915 - Haiti gained independence from France, and then the United States occupied the island. An American man, William Seabrook, learned of the voodoo “zombi”, in which Haitians believed those with heavy sin lingered beyond death and became mindless servants. He recorded meeting four “zombies”, slaves employed by American manufacturers and made to work in squalid conditions, but he was ignorant to this and instead noted them as supernatural monsters (Crockett, 2016). Fast forward to 1940s, World War II was emerging, and zombies became an important part of media to expose fears of communist governments and atomic warfare. In the 1960s, the movie Night of the Living Dead which featured “... closing credits of the film are a series of still, grainy images, in which a mob of white Southerners puncture Ben’s lifeless body with meat hooks … final shot
Good vs Evil in Beowulf Evil profoundly immoral and malevolent Good to be desired or approved of. Although the two adjectives are the polar opposites from each other complete In the Anglo Saxon poem Beowulf, the reoccurring theme of good versus evil is used to contrast the ideal Anglo Saxon person with its flawed opposite. Anglo Saxon literature was typically written in Latin, which is known as “the language of learning” (Amodio).
Throughout the poem Beowulf, the author, whom to this day is still unknown, uses light and darkness to explain good and evil characters and events. This unknown author describes Beowulf, the hero of the story, and other people and events as bright, as well as making many references to the sun and sunlight. The monster that Beowulf defeats named Grendel, is often described as a shadow or only emerging in the dark of night. The imagery is used with light and dark is used to represent the good and evil that the author saw as he was Anglo-Saxon and likely pagan as well. Imagery is used often throughout the poem, but especially when Grendel and Beowulf are first introduced and when they fight.
His paranoia causes him to order the deaths of close friends and allies. This transformation demonstrates how evil takes over good compared to Beowulf where there is already an evil creature present. Beowulf is a story about an evil creature named Grendel who terrorizes the castle of Hrothgar, killing many. Hrothgar calls Beowulf to kill Grendel and other villains which shows the distinct line between good and evil. Evil is worse in Macbeth, because it slowly seeps in and ultimately takes over Macbeth’s character, whereas in Beowulf, it is stagnant, remaining in the souls of the
The Power of Fear Fear is a power harnessed by evil to gain an advantage over good. Some forms of evil, such as the monsters in Beowulf, use this intense power to such an extent that they embody individual human fears to completely control and annihilate their enemies. Of the three monsters Beowulf faces in his life, the fatal foe, the unstoppable dragon most effectively embodies fear.
Beowulf was a concerning story with an immense capacity of themes that can deal with almost every aspect of life. The story revolved around three scenarios most of the time, the three battles with the monsters. These monsters conveyed similar and opposite characteristics that made them unique and deadly. However, I believe these monsters can portray several aspects of today societies, including psychology. They can represent Freud’s psychology consisting of the Id, the Ego, and the Superego.
In the article “My Zombie, Myself: Why Modern Life Feels Rather Undead,” Chuck Klosterman explains how everyday life is like zombies and why they are so popular. Zombies are experiencing an up rise in popularity because they are being used in video games and television shows such as “The Walking Dead”. Zombies are becoming more interesting to watch because any kind of sound or smell of a living human draws their attention. For example, the sound of shooting one zombie attracts others zombies to the person doing the shooting. Zombies are becoming more popular because the audience are able to relate to them in numerous ways.
Both authors paint a grotesque picture of their creations and how they both desire to destroy beauty; Aesthetic Iconoclasm, that is shared between the two figures. However, both authors present their monsters separate to one another in philosophy; with Grendel being a mindless savage and the Monster being more contemplative and questioning the nature of its own creation. ‘Monster’ characters have always been a target of both folk tales and pagan myths since the dawn of humanity, the very concept of a monstrous creature harkens back to the primal fear instinct of facing a dangerous predator that presents a danger to humanity. Grendel from Beowulf is the perfect example of this hysteria and
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
Superheroes have been around since the beginning of mankind. Many historical tales of humans doing the impossible for the good of others. Some being as simple as saving a cat from a tree to stopping a universal disaster. An example of a hero resides in the Epic Beowulf. This poem tells the tale of the mighty protector of men, Beowulf and his journey through life.
In both works, the authors of Beowulf and Tolkien also assigned their society’s negative traits to their stories’ villains. In Beowulf, Grendel was swamp-dwelling son of Cain, the exiled killer of Abel and father to all evil spirits (102 – 110). Grendel’s swampy home is easily accessible to the Anglo-Saxon audience as dark and dangerous. On top of this, Grendel’s home exists on the outside edges of King Heorot’s lands: not central but still inside (103). This location represents the marginalities of the Anglo-Saxon people who the majority of society sees as sinful or “demonic.”
In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are clear distinctions between an epic hero and a monster. Beowulf is the prime example of a epic hero possessing characteristics such as superior strength, courage, and loyalty. On the other hand, Grendel and Grendel’s mother are characteristized as evil and immoral based off of their actions. These characteristics are presented throughout the poem, and monsters are given grotesque, hideous appearances to further prove that they are evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother reaction revealed how the full presentation of a character can allow readers to react differently than before and even sympathized with them.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.
“The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man” as stated by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn comes to mind when thinking about good and evil. Since before the earth was created, the battle between good and evil waged on. The first battle of good and evil that can ever be recorded is God against Lucifer or the Devil. The battle began the moment God casted the Devil out of Heaven. Looking throughout the Holy Bible, we see evidences of good and evil.
Beowulf: A New Translation for Oral Delivery, translated by Dick Ringler, utilized the dark and the ominous to foreshadow or to portray the impending savagery of mankind. Darkness could be defined either by the absence of light or by the lack of intellectual enlightenment. The monstrous creatures are shrouded within the darkness or associate with the ominous. Throughout Beowulf the theme of violence and darkness are intertwined, which is manifest by correlating the darkness with the unknown through Grendel. The unknown generate fear among the mass through their inability to control and understand the existence of inhuman beings.
Alexander Hamilton once said, “There is a certain Enthusiasm in liberty that makes Human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf did acts of service, but he fought for those who couldn’t fight. The overall theme of good versus evil in Beowulf had Beowulf dealing with challenges that no ordinary man would be able to handle unless they were a true epic hero. Throughout the poem Beowulf proves to be an epic hero by his strength, bravery, and sacrifice.