Beowulf Good Vs Evil

It is not clear if the poem was written from a Christian perspective or if it was just a pagan theology. However, there are many allusions to Christian beliefs. Beowulf’s epic poem is a contrast of good and evil in which Beowulf represents good while Grendel, his mother and the dragon are the embodiment of evil. Through a Christian perspective, Beowulf can be seen as a Christ figure in the sense that both come to the people in a time of need, acknowledge God as their protector, and sacrifice themselves in life and body to protect mankind from evil. In the beginning, we see Beowulf’s Christ-like attributes when he goes to Hrothgar’s aid with no intention of obtaining wealth but out of compassion and duty. When Hrothgar hears that Beowulf has

In the poem, it is clear that Grendel is the Christian interpretation of the devil since the poem explains that Grendel along with his kind are the descendants of Cain, a biblical character. The book states that “this unhappy being/ had long lived in the land of monsters since the Creator cast them out/ as kindred of Cain” (39. 103-105). This specific description identifies Grendel and his mother as the embodiment of evil. When facing Grendel, Beowulf relies on the protection of God saying “The Father in His wisdom/ shall apportion the honors then, the All-holy Lord,/ to whichever side shall seem to Him fit” (685-687) through this statement Beowulf puts his life in God’s hands. Later, when Beowulf is fighting Grendel’s mother he is unable to cause much harm with Unferth’s sword. He then sees a weapon hanging on the wall which he is able to use to defeat his foe. But instead of taking credit for this perception he gives credit to God saying “But the Guide of mankind granted me the sight/… of a huge Giant-sword hanging the wall” (1660-1662). He also states that “Not easily did I survive the fight underwater/… Our strife had ended/ at its very beginning if God had not saved me” (1654-1657). The Bible also quotes many instances where Jesus attributes his accomplishments to God. For example, when Jesus heals a man with a demon, the man asks Jesus if he could stay

Fifty years later after his fight with Grendel and his mother, Beowulf faces a new monster who is threatening his kingdom. Beowulf knows that he is old now and that he won’t probably make it out alive but he believes that this is his duty and only he can accomplish it “This affair is not for you,/ nor is it measured to any man but myself alone/ to match strength with this monstrous being” (93. 2529-2531). This action parallels Christ sacrifice for humanity when he knows that his end is near and he does not refuse his fate when he is betrayed by Judas and he is being taken, prisoner. When their end is near both Beowulf and Christ are abandoned by their most loyal companions. After Beowulf’s death Wiglaf proclaimed “Too few supporters/ flocked to our prince when affliction came” (100. 2879-2880). Many of Beowulf’s companions out of fear sought refuge in the forest and abandoned their king. Before Jesus was taken, prisoner he foretells the denial of his Apostles and says to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered’” (ESV,Mar 14:27-28) Christ knows that he must die in order to save mankind and Beowulf knows that he must fight the dragon at the expense of his death in order to save his people. To mourn his death, twelve of Beowulf’s warriors “rode around the barrow/…They praised