Religious Influences In Beowulf's Character

Beowulf Character Study Essay

There are many religious influences and implications in Beowulf, ranging from the characters, to their journeys and their religious beliefs. One of the main religious implications is Beowulf himself, in the text Beowulf appears as a “Christ-like” figure.

Beowulf and Christ follow very similar journeys, both men travelled to an exotic land, and began to save and protect the people that lived on it. Beowulf traveled to Danish land; in order to protect them from the incoming threat of Grendel, who also plays a sort of religious character by being a “devil-like figure”. By killing Grendel and his mother Beowulf cleared the Danish land of all threats, and the Danes were forever grateful. “Forever you will be your

Jesus suffered day and night, he was an outcast among the people he was trying to bless and protect. People called him a liar for saying that he was the son of God, and they physically harmed him. At the start of Beowulf’s journey, no one believes that he is capable of slaying Grendel.” No matter, therefore, how you may have fared in every battle until now, this time you’ll be worsted; no one has ever outlasted an entire night against Grendel” (37, 525). He gets mocked and people talk about him behind his back, until he proves them all wrong. He slays Grendel and his mother, and proceeds to be worshiped by the Danes. Both Jesus and Beowulf defied the odds, and proved people wrong. Jesus resurrected after three days of being dead, proving to everyone that he truly was the son of God.

Their journey’s also ended in the same way; they both died for their people. Beowulf died at the hand of a dragon that he killed to protect his people, and Christ let the Romans kill him in order to let all the sins that have happened, would happen, and could happen die on the cross with him. So Christ died to cleanse the sins of mankind, and Beowulf died to protect his land and his