Nature Of Evil In Beowulf

203 Words1 Pages
The characteristic of an epic that is dominant in Beowulf is that the actions of the hero decide the fate of a nation. Upon hearing of Grendel’s attacks at Herot, Beowulf travels to Denmark to help Hrothgar. Hrothgar agrees to let Beowulf try to defeat Grendel. If Beowulf kills the demon, then Herot will be cured of all evil, but if he fails, then Grendel will continue to terrorize Hrothgar’s men until the kingdom is completely demolished. Beowulf succeeds in defeating Grendel, and saves Hrothgar and his men from Grendel’s wrath. Similarly, when Hrothgar offers beowulf the challenge of fighting Grendel’s mother, Beowulf accepts because “...our only help...lies with you…” (lines 443-444). Beowulf is the only warrior who has the strength to