essay on beowulf good vs evil

Good Versus Evil in Beowulf An anonymous Anglo-Saxon author composed Beowulf, an epic poem, in which good triumphs against evil. A variety of despicable monsters constantly threaten the people of Denmark providing a need for a noble warrior, Beowulf. The repetitive struggle to save humanity demonstrates the forces of good versus evil through The Battle with Grendel, The Battle with Grendel’s Mother, and The Battle with the Dragon. The initial battle, The Battle with Grendel, begin the fight of good versus evil. Grendel, a savege beast, continually devoured the people of Denmark, bloodthirsty, “ He moved quickly through the cloudy night [ ] Towards that shinning hall”(289-291). Good is being represented in a symbolic sense, referring to it as “shinning.” Since the hall (Herot) is where Beowulf and his men await Grendel’s coming it appears to be shinning, which is also in a sense is foreshadowing the success of Beowulf (since light is superior to darkness). The following also shows that a fight between these two sides is about to occur. Similarly, once Grendel attempted to consume Beowulf, “ The mighty protector of men meant to hold the monster till its life leaped out, knowing that fiend was no use to anyone in Denmark”(336-339).   DiPietro-2 Again, good is being shown, in this circumstance the kenning “mighty protector of men” portrays Beowulf as a supernatural being of good and that it is his obligation to fight for humanity. In addition, it shows the severity of this battle, because it will determine whether good or evil triumphs (“fiend was no use to anyone in Denmark”). In the end, “ A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering [ ] by a bloodthirsty fiend”(404-407). The expression of despair the monster forces unto the Danes is a representation of evil. Additionally, the fact Beowulf is successful shows that good is.
In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the poem's main and most important aspect. The poet makes it clear that good and evil do not exist as only opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the ability to do good, or to perform acts selflessly and in help of others. Goodness is also showed throughout this epic as having the ability to cleanse evil. Even though evil is presented by Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, who are filled with a desire to act against people and ultimately destroy them. Even pride, a human quality, is presented in Beowulf as a sign that evil Beowulf takes it upon himself to announce several great deeds that he will perform to help countries in need. One of these deeds is his offer to King Hrothgar, in which he proposes to slay Grendel. Beowulf states, Single-handed I'll settle the strife! In this statement, Beowulf is simply stating that he will kill this evil creature, Grendel. Another selfless act Beowulf states is that he will slay Grendel's mother. Beowulf declares, And I give you pledge, She (Grendel's mother) shall not in safety escape to cover. Beowulf promises to see to it that Grendel's mother will be killed. After Beowulf becomes king in Geatland, he shows his great ability once more by pledging to kill the fire-dragon. The ring-prince scorned to assault the dragon, the poet said. Beowulf is said to have pledged to kill the dragon, which has caused a disturbance among his people. These selfless acts offered by Beowulf display much of the goodness that Goodness is not only portrayed by selfless acts, but also by it's ability to purge and cleanse evil. This is first shown after Beowulf slays Grendel. The poet says, (Beowulf) Had purged of evil the hall of Hrothgar, and cleansed of crime; the heart of the hero. The good done by Beowulf is shown to ha Essays Related to Beowulf - Good.
Enter Your Search Terms to Get Started! Beowulf: Good vs. Evil Beowulf: Good versus Evil Beowulf is one of the oldest existing poems in the English Language. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem, which portrays a story of an epic hero destined to defeat a ferocious monster in order to save a kingdom from destruction and death. The major theme in this epic was the theme of good versus evil. The theme of good versus evil was portrayed through the people and things that represented good and evil, which helped portray the theme throughout that novel, and explained the overall effect of this theme on the poem as a piece of literature. There are many symbols that represent good in Beowulf. Beowulf himself is a symbol of good in this epic. Beowulf is tamed and civilized which are the characteristics of goodness and purity. First off, Beowulf is pure and shows this before his battle when he removes his armor, and vows not to use a weapon to defeat Grendel. Defeating Grendel, he shows that man, without armor and weapons, can defeat evil in any form including that of his enemy Grendel. This serves as a symbol of Beowulf's Goodness. Another symbol of goodness is light. Light symbolizes day and rejoicing. When light, such as the sun and moon, are showing it gives people a sense of comfort and they don’t seem to be scared of daylight. In connection with light, words like shining and gleaming also prove to show goodness in this epic. These symbols can be shown as good in this excerpt: “In the lap of their shining ship, lined with gleaming armor, going safely in that oak-hard boat to where their hearts took them.” Human civilization, in the form of heroic warriors, is often associated with light: the halls are illuminated with rejoicing and treasure. This is shown in this excerpt: How many times have my men, sworn to stay after dark and stem that horror with a sweep of their swords.