Beowulf

2 Pages 590 Words

Beowulf
The three main events of Beowulf are the fight with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. The first section of the poem deals with the lineage of the king and Beowulf’s family background. Some of the values that a good hero should have are explained, and related to the main character, Beowulf. The next section involves revenge and how the Danes need a hero to defeat the monster Grendel who is attacking the people of the town. The tension between good, evil, right, and wrong are themes that radiates throughout the entire course of Beowulf.
Grendel, the first monster that Beowulf fights is one of the first true Biblical references that appear in the poem. Grendel is said to have descended from Cain who in the Old Testament book of Genesis, who kills his own brother Abel. This statement makes you believe that Grendel has some human characteristics, and is a representation of evil. Moreover, you can infer that if Grendel is a descendent of Cain, so is his mother. The three monsters in the poem are clear examples of evil, but are also symbols of the internal tension between right and wrong within an individual.
Beowulf’s first fight against evil represented by Grendel, ends with “good” winning, his second fight with Grendel’s mother, ends with “good” triumphing over evil; however, the last battle 50 years after the second ends with evil and self destruction. The results of these battles can be seen as the confrontation with evil, vengeance, and one’s own mortality. Beowulf is portrayed as being almost beyond human in strength and character.
The way that Beowulf is structured is reminiscent of a classic epic with the build up of the main character, the description of community, and challenges that the main character has to overcome. Beowulf becomes the hero of his entire community, the Danes, Geats, and is celebrated.
Another theme that is presented in Beowulf is age. There is a fifty year gap bet...