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Beowulf External Conflict Analysis

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In Beowulf there are three major external conflicts that pushes the story forward. Also, the three conflicts are the structure of the story, the three conflicts are the parts of the story. The conflict between Grendel and Beowulf would be the first one. The conflict between those is able to set up the story. If the conflict had not started with the Grendel attacking Heorot, it would not have the same effect. Having this conflict not only sets up the story but it also has a moral teaching coinciding within it. The moral within the conflict is the importance of reputation. In the beginning it introduces the reader to every male character being known as his father’s son. Going on in the story the characters are unable to speak about their identity …show more content…

“Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark…” (Beowulf 112) In the end, that is the whole reason why Beowulf wants to defeat Grendel in the first place, because he knows if he does successful kills Grendel, he will be remember forever. Next in line for conflict will be the quarrel between Grendel’s mom and Beowulf. The dispute between these two comes up because of the fact that Beowulf kills Grendel, which also ties into vengeance. When Beowulf took on Grendel he was also getting revenge for Hrothgar’s fallen men, just as now Grendel’s mom is getting vengeance on Beowulf for killing her son. “But now his mother had sallied forth on a savage journey, grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge.” (Beowulf 144) This was able to drive the story because as the reader read they could feel the pain that Grendel’s mom felt knowing that someone had killed her son. The final conflict that proclaims Beowulf is the duel between him and the dragon. For this conflict it drives the story to a resolution. That being said it is the finally quarrel that Beowulf will ever have and that ties into the heroic approach to

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He says that their lives are guided by the heroic code. Then Beowulf proclaims that he will go fight Grendel's mother and Grendel in an underwater battle and then he sets off. On his way, he is captured by Grendel’s mom and taken. But, when he tries to fight back with his sword the sword does nothing to her causing him to start fighting with his bare hands. Then he discovers a weapon that could help him defeat his enemy and it is a great sword.

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Grendel had being killing and terrorizing Hrothgar’s people. The news of Grendel had travel to the land of the Geats and Beowulf had come to provide assistance to Hrothgar. One day after Beowulf and Grendel’s fight, where Beowulf tears off the demons’ arm, the monster’s mother came to vengeance her son’s death. She was also defeated and killed by Beowulf, for which he received many gifts and praise by Hrothgar and his wife Wealhtheow.

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Beowulf Essay Beowulf is pretty much all about fighting and violence. There are many bloody and gory battles in Beowulf. Beowulf has 3 main battles with much violence: Beowulf against Grendel, Beowulf against Grendel’s Mother, and Beowulf against the Dragon that guarded the gold. All these battles had something in common, they were very violent. These battles in Beowulf were depicted very violent and disturbing because the Geats and the Danes originated from Vikings, they were very violent.

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At this point he still struggles with his destiny and role in life as the villain. Beowulf is insane because everything he does seems mechanical. He kills with eagerness and lives for the pain of his kills. In page 171, the novel says, “Grendel, Grendel! You make the world by whispers, second by second.

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Envy, revenge, and grudges are often the causes of feuds in Beowulf, as those feelings are recurrent. The consequence of feuding is the wounded side later plausibly seeking revenge, leading to

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He carefully strategized his plan to defeat Grendel. He waited for Grendel to come to Heorot, then surprise attacked him. Grendel put up a fight, but Beowulf was stronger and more intelligent. Beowulf ripped the arm off of the beast, sending him away to die. Not only did Beowulf have to defeat Grendel, but Grendel’s mother came back for revenge, so Beowulf set out to the darkness where Grendel and his mother lived.

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The author also uses a shift in power with each fight, since the monsters increase in power and difficulty to defeat. If Beowulf fought the same level of villain each time he would stay on the same social level. This is why he must gain knowledge and experience through each battle so he can move on to fight a more extravagant beast. The second battle was Grendel's mother; she only wanted to fight “the death of her son to avenge” ( ). This battle was worse than the first one because she was scorned and wanted revenge, she was prepared to face the man who killed her son whereas Grendel was unprepared because he did not know how powerful Beowulf was.

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In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.

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This is the beginning of Grendel falling directly into the role that the dragon said he would need to fill. Grendel’s murderous tendencies completely reflect the monstrous side of his personality and the more he kills the more he grows insane, separating from rational, humanistic thought. “I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust and joy and a strange fear that mingle in my chest like the twisting rage of a bone-fire... I am blazing, half-crazy with joy” (168). It is clear that, by the time Beowulf arrives, Grendel has embraced the fact that he is required to be evil, despite the fact that he previously claimed he would oppose that destiny.

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Have you ever heard of the story Beowulf? If not, then I will be telling you the different scenarios that occurred in the movie and the book. Beowulf is about a heroic fellow who saves a kingdom from a magical named Grendel. He went through numerous of battles between Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon. In this essay I will be discussing the different event that happened in the story and the movie.

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The motif of blood feud is an important and distinctive literary component of Beowulf. In consort with the interlacing, complex pattern of Beowulf, a blood feud is represented in each of the time periods - past, present, and future, demonstrating how important the theme was to the epic. The inclusion of blood feuds acts as a reflection of the culture of sixth-century Scandinavia, emphasizing the warrior-based and unforgiving societies of that time. The components of blood feuds that are strongly stressed are its potential to be endless and it’s inflexibility.

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Beowulf vs Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon all represent a creature from hell and Beowulf is a god-like warrior who ends up slaying evil. “Like a man outlawed/for wickedness, he must await/the mighty judgement of God in majesty” (Beowulf 976 - 978). This quote talks about Grendel and his demonic soul. Beowulf points out that he is an evil creature and no creature ever to exist is powerful enough to smite God. Once Grendel dies, Grendel will be in God’s hands and Grendel will regret ever being evil or committing any evil action to anyone or anything on Earth.

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941 Words | 4 Pages

The fight with Grendel’s mother is much more violent than the fight with Grendel, for she is stronger than the previous enemy, so Beowulf changes his battle tactics to compensate for her

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Beowulf’s Motivations (An Understanding of the motivations of Beowulf to Fight the Three Monsters) Every human being has a certain code with which they follow, most are outlined by the Anglo-Saxon, better known as Viking, code. This code itself was depicted through the epic poem known as, “Beowulf,” and more importantly, Beowulf’s motivations. His first motivation for fighting Grendel, is because he believes it is his duty to fight the monster. Secondly, Beowulf believes that fighting Grendel’s mother would help him in receive glory.

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For instance, these battles are not fought for the same reason. Overall Beowulf fights for glory throughout the epic poem, but there are specific reasons when it comes down to the three battles. First and foremost, Beowulf fights Grendel to protect the people of Heorot. Secondly, he fights Grendel’s mother because instead of grieving over the loss of Grendel, she goes to Heorot for revenge. Lastly, Beowulf fights the dragon because not only does he want to protect his people but he also wants to gain the treasure the dragon so fiercely guards.

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