Beowulf: Good and Evil and Beowulf Essay

Submitted By emilyarg96

Words: 345

Pages: 2

Open Document

Emily Argotsinger
Swalwell
AP Literature
14 August 2014
The Light in Death In Beowulf, Grendal’s menacing rampage causes unrest in the Dane’s kingdom. An unexpected hero, Beowulf, comes to triumph over Grendal’s evil and in the manner of his death, the author expounds the theme that if one has faith in the light, anything is possible. Grendal had terrorized king Hrothgar’s kingdom for 12 years, slaughtering his men and soldiers in hall Heorot and no one had been able to stop him until Beowulf came. Grendal was a dark, evil monster that no man, however strong or brave could conquer, and Beowulf’s coming was not seen as anything different. He did not seem like a worthy opponent of such a beast, because he was small and had bad eyesight, so the king didn’t have faith he could overcome Grendal. But Beowulf believed the best plan was no plan, so he went against Grendal without a sword and with only his wits. When Grendal finally came that night he was overwhelmed by the light Beowulf gave off when he grabbed his arm. “To Grendal it was as if the sun itself had caught him in its clutch. Made of wickedness as he was, the good in this man burned him.” (pg 40). Beowulf was not strong, but the light given off by his good surmounted Grendal’s darkness, and he was able to rip Grendal’s arm off and send the monster away to die. Grendal’s death scene shows how the power of the light of good is a match for any force no matter how strong or evil. Even when Grendal is

Beowulf Good Vs Evil

The epic poem Beowulf follows the timeless tale of the hero Beowulf as he triumphs over evil time and time again. Grendel by John Garden extends upon this timeless tale and explores in detail the antagonistic figure from Beowulf, Grendel. Despite both works weaving stories in the same world, both explore key elements in vastly different ways. Through their similar but often time different interpretations of key ideas such as heroism, religion, and good vs. evil, both Beowulf and Grendel explore the…

Words 870 - Pages 4

Beowulf Good Vs Evil

Beowulf was considered a hero in his younger days when he faught against Grendel and other monsters. He had all right to seek vengeance against him. Because Grendel was killing innocent people for no reason. But why Beowulf slayed the dragon wasn’t right, Beowulf had no right in killing that dragon. His people stole from the dragon, the dragon didn’t steal from them. And Beowulf’s only loyal man, Wiglaf, would be considered, in today’s standards, as an accessory to murder. During the epic poem of…

Words 346 - Pages 2

Examples Of Good And Evil In Beowulf

The question is, is beowulf a hero and describe the good and evil in the story beowulf. There was a lot of good and evil in the story. Beowulf had to save his town from pure destruction and restore order. Did he have the courage to become a hero or did he just become a number like the rest of the population. Is Beowulf a hero? To me, he is a hero. He saved his whole town from pure destruction and restored order to the whole village and population. He defeated Grendel for crying out loud. He kept…

Words 519 - Pages 3

Good and Evil and Beowulf Essay

Beowulf: the Concept of Good and Evil Although it was written thousands of years ago, the famous epic, Beowulf, still remains one of the most turned to hero tails in the world. It is known to be the oldest form of English literature and possibly one of the most important. The protagonist, Beowulf, is the immortally human hero. Beowulf is a mighty Geat warrior who’s courage is looked to globally. The tails of Beowulf have been passed down from generation to generation for at least a millennium…

Words 533 - Pages 3

Beowulf Good Vs Evil Essay

When you think about how good and evil, you typically think of a battle where good defeats evil. What makes good so “good”, and what makes evil so “evil”? A stereotypical hero saving a townfrom a villain, and as he defeats the villain, the hero gets praised and drowned in pride. When you look at the characteristics of each role, you could find the opposite. In Beowulf, one of my biggest observations was an example of good between the two sides. Before the legendary battle between himself…

Words 654 - Pages 3

Relationship Between Good And Evil In Beowulf

stinking blood fountained everywhere. Beowulf had pulled Grendel’s arm out of its socket!” Beowulf: A New Telling, by Robert Nye is a great book to read if you are interested in the relationship and battle between good and evil, and light and dark. Beowulf proves that good overcomes evil in the end. He also shows that one has to admit to their weaknesses for them to become strengths. Beowulf fights three fearsome beasts and becomes a great hero and king. In Beowulf: A new telling, Hrothgar, King…

Words 642 - Pages 3

Beowulf: Struggle Between Good And Evil

between good and evil. In the epic Beowulf, the battle of these forces is distinguished between the two characters Beowulf and Grendel. Grendel, the antagonist of the story, was born as a behemoth into exile. He was cursed for simply being a descendant of Cain. On the other hand, Beowulf came from a family that consisted of tough and strong warriors. Both Beowulf and Grendel were determined to be the finest and believed they could overcome any obstacle that interfered in their way. Beowulf was a…

Words 496 - Pages 2

Beowulf Good Vs Evil

tried to keep him from going.” (Beowulf 197-202) And so Beowulf sets out, determined to bring back glory and fame. Determined to extinguish evil from the world, but the tale that begins with resolute sides, the God-sent, heroic Beowulf, against the evil, vile, Grendel, results in a blurring of the boundaries of heroics and barbarism by the end of the tale. Beowulf sets and blurs the line between the heroic deeds of humans and the barbaric violence of ancient evil, which can be seen in the human characteristics…

Words 911 - Pages 4

Grendel's Mother and Beowulf Essay

10.4.13 Beowulf Essay 2 Good Faces Evil and Prevails “God did not create evil. Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God.”- Albert Einstein. Beowulf, whose author is unknown, is an epic poem that was written between 700 and 1000AD. Throughout the poem, there is a series of battles in which the main character, Beowulf, must defeat various monsters using his strength and God’s grace. Each battle draws a clear distinction between good and evil, showing that good always…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

Beowulf Themes

Beowulf Essay I recently read one of the best epic poems ever written. “Beowulf” is an Anglo Saxon epic that takes place in Denmark during the sixth century. Beowulf, the main character, is the hero of the story because he saves Hrothgar and the Danes from Grendel and other monsters. Even though it was written a long time ago, “Beowulf” has many important lessons and themes throughout the epic that are still relevant in today’s world. These include how we treat each other, the dangers of pride and…

Words 748 - Pages 3