Theme Of Monsters In Beowulf

Rachna Shah

Critics have proposed that Beowulf’s “lofty...beauty” and dignified tone are inconsistent with its whimsical choice of incorporating monsters. Yet rather than being incompatible, the monsters actually contribute to the poem’s poise by capturing Beowulf’s grim theme.

Critics who dissect Beowulf through “historical or scientific lens”, do not analyze the poem “as a whole”, where the true significance of Beowulf is found. The same critics decry the universal - myths and doom - and laud human tragedies and “heroic legend” in their place. The monsters of “folk-tale” belong to myth. Yet rather than being purely theatrical, myth is rich, having the unique ability to encapsulate the struggles of humanity as a whole. On the other hand,

Critics may say that the monsters originated from the muddled mind of a primitive poet. However, the monsters are the result of a clear amalgamation of Pagan and Christian influences. These influences crafted how the Beowulf-poet presented the theme and why he portrayed the monsters as living, breathing creatures, rather than as tropes. The Pagan influence hails from early, pre-Christian Northern mythology. These stories promoted the universal enemy of Chaos as one indefatigable. Yet, their heroes continued to fight, determined and courageous in the face of inevitable

The fusion of Pagan and Christian influences, old traditions and new perspectives, in the mind of the Beowulf-poet led him to view the old days of Norse mythology as “noble [yet] hopeless”. Consequently, while the poet establishes the more universal theme that all glory culminates in death, the details of the story are grounded in reality. It is the monsters, which represent the Pagan worldview, and the Christian perspective that provide Beowulf’s formal, weighty tone. Moreso, the monsters are central to the story and theme. The unique perspective of Beowulf supports that Pagan stories still have significance in a Christian and modern