Beowulf External Conflict Analysis

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

“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