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 human condition and the key factor at play. A key component in both works is the idea of heroism. In both Beowulf and Grendel, the character of Beowulf is portrayed as the model of heroism. Beowulf is wise; he is brave and honorable. His image …show more content…
evil in vastly different ways. In Beowulf, good and evil are distinct and different. They are black and white. Beowulf is the shining goodness that can do no wrong, while Grendel, his mother, and the dragon are the embodiment of evil. Grendel is described as “God-cursed brute” and “malignant by nature, he never showed remorse” (Beowulf 121, 137). The whole epic portrays the struggle of good vs. evil with no overlap between them. However, Grendel shows that good and evil cannot be labeled as just black and white. In Grendel, there is grey. Grendel’s inner turmoil on how to act or what philosophy to follow itself shows that Grendel is not just all evil. Grendel could have killed the Queen, yet he decided at the last minute to spare her. If Grendel was purely evil, he would have killed her without a second thought. Humans are also not all good as Grendel describes them as vicious creatures that kill each other just for earthly possessions. Humans attack Grendel when he was little and stuck in the tree. One thing that Gardner does describe as evil is ignorance and lacking free-will. Near the end of the story while Grendel is dying, the animals surround Grendel and continue to gaze upon him. The animals “watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction” (Grendel 174). Animals are machinelike, they lack the ability to think and make decisions on their own. Thus, Grendel calls them evil because they lack the ability to make their own choices and forge their own future. When Grendel whispers his final words of “Poor Grendel’s had an accident, So may you all,” he is asking the animals to rid the evilness of ignorance and just like him take their lived into their own hand and think for

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