The epic Beowulf is written in Old English by an unknown author, and it is considered to be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English. Beowulf is about a hero, named Beowulf, who comes to the rescue of the Danes when their mead-hall is being attacked by a monster. He then enters a series of three great battles that change his life. The last battle is the most significant battle that Beowulf faces because it shows how much he has grown as a man from his first battle. Without Beowulf’s final battle, the epic Beowulf would not have the valuable lesson that it is able to teach us today.
Beowulf’s Vengeance It is a fair night in Geatland, and Beowulf is celebrating his victory over Grendel's Mother in the mead hall Higlac built for his nephew. The mead hall is named The Court of Champions. "Let us celebrate my nephew’s great accomplishments of ridding the Danish people of their hideous creatures!" Higlac exclaims as he raises his mead cup to his subjects. Higlac by far was one of the fairest kings the Geats have had, after raids he gave each member a portion of the loot and made sure that everyone in the clan was cared for.
On numerous accounts, Beowulf involved himself in many challenges such battling Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the Dragon to prove himself as a hero. In the beginning of the reading, Beowulf faces a rude and self-absorbed being with the name of Grendel. Grendel causes much destruction and terror for the kingdom of Herot by killing many people for their display of happiness. Once hearing
Grendel is someone who made his home in hell because the type of creature he is. As some of the Danes sleep Grendel snatches up 30 of them kills them and carries them back to his lair while the blood is leaking from him , he is also the type to only hunt at night when no one see’s him or can hear him. News got around to Beowulf about Grendel so he sailed across the sea to Hrothgar. Beowulf than ask permission to kill Grendel because he feels as if it’s the right thing to do. Beowulf than defeats Grendel and takes his body parts and hangs them up to prove to people that
This is seen multiple times throughout the poem beginning with his quest to kill Grendel. Beowulf personally sought out permission from Hrothgar to help the Danish people. Beowulf was able to help the suffering community; furthermore, he had a chance to receive great recognition for his actions. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf was given the opportunity to receive more glory and once again help Heorot by taking the life of Grendel’s mother. This was an extremely dangerous challenge because he knew her capabilities.
In “Beowulf,” there are many concepts of good and evil portrayed in the epic poem by an unknown author. Beowulf brings good to the Geats. The people would say he was a gift from the Gods to battle and demolish the evil. The monsters, however, cause trouble to the people and bring out the evil in everything. These elements of good and evil help define this an epic poem.
Evil comes in many different forms; sometimes there is a clear line between good and evil, but there are times where evil can overcome good. The two stories that represents these two forms are Macbeth and Beowulf. In Macbeth, the story starts out with Macbeth who is a loyal servant to King Duncan. His wife convinces Macbeth to kill King Duncan to gain power and become the new king. After hesitating, he murders King Duncan and this starts transforming him into a paranoid person. 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
Prior to ever killing Grendal the Danish king, Hrothgar, knew of Beowulf’s father and therefore expected much out of him. Legends of Beowulf could range but he did speak of himself battling sea monsters, several of them all killed by Beowulf. After defeating Grendel Beowulf could have easily left, but instead he stayed to finish the job he had come for. He fought Grendel's mother till bitter death than afterwards took Grendel's head as a trophy to the king of the Danes, Hrothgar. In his later years Beowulf became king after his father before him and his kingdom was under siege by a Dragon, instead of telling his men to slay the beast he fought it himself.
At this point he still struggles with his destiny and role in life as the villain. Beowulf is insane because everything he does seems mechanical. He kills with eagerness and lives for the pain of his kills. In page 171, the novel says, “Grendel, Grendel! You make the world by whispers, second by second.
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.
In the poem Beowulf, there is a contrast between good and evil. This distinction is presented through the monsters Grendel and his mother, in parallel to the hero Beowulf. The themes of evil and monstrosity are therefore used in the story, as a way to create the notion of Grendel and his mother as monsters. Beowulf therefore appears as a character representing good. Although Beowulf shows traits of abnormal power, like Grendel and his mother, his motifs are interpreted differently.
Questions of Honor: Beowulf Beowulf’s honor and integrity can be questioned throughout the entirety of the epic poem, Beowulf. Whether or not his actions are inspired by his own pompous arrogance or confidence, one can argue that he is a hero nonetheless. Evidence and experience prove that Beowulf is more of a fearless hero than an excessively prideful man, and his hubris is more than justified due to the formidable duties he is able to execute. Throughout the poem, Beowulf expresses his intense strength and courage to the fearful people in the poem. His daring sense of self-assurance is backed by his victories against all three monsters, (even though he suffers a tragic death after facing the dragon, it is a defeat nonetheless).
First, Beowulf kills Grendel. Then Grendel’s mother comes to the hall to seek revenge. Afterward Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother. Finally Beowulf goes back to Geatland where he gets killed by a dragon. “ ..
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.
Beowulf, born in the land of the Geats, makes the voyage over to the Danes upon hearing the problems troubling the Danes. Even though Hygelac told Beowulf not to, Beowulf went on ahead and he proves his worth, both to his king and the Danes’ king. In the time of crossing the waters, Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and then a dragon and he inspires one young man named Wiglaf. Wiglaf makes a valiant speech to get Beowulf’s men hustling in the line of defense, but ends up fighting alone. “He picked us out from the army deliberately, honoured us and judged us fit for this action, made me these lavish gifts- and all because he considered us the best of his arms-bearing thanes”