Similarities Between Macbeth And Beowulf

The two stories of Macbeth and Beowulf have different plot, but hold similar elements. The legend of Beowulf, set in 500 A.D., begins with an evil monster terrorizing the mead hall of Heorot. The monster, Grendel, attacks Heorot with desire for wickedness. For copious amount of years, Grendel slaughters the men by night, each night. Until a hero named Beowulf hears the Geats cries and comes to their rescue. Beowulf arrives and devises a plan to kill the beast at night when he comes to attack the soldiers while they are sleeping. When the devil spawn, Grendel, appears in the hall slaughtering warrioriors, Beowulf attacks him with surprise ripping the monster’s arm from his socket. The monster escapes and later dies. Soon after Grendel’s death, the warriors encounter his mother. Beowulf tracks her to her underwater cave and kills her with a magic sword. Story of Beowulf ends with the hero being martyred in a battle with an evil dragon. Macbeth takes place during 1040. Macbeth Is about a Thane who becomes a king by killing different people all because he heard a prophecy from three witches. Macbeth fulfills the prophecy, but dies when, Macduff, the Thane of Fife,

Beowulf battles the dragon alongside one of his faithful warriors. He and the warrior fight hard, but in the end Beowulf dies. He defeats the dragon, yet is slain in the process, leaving his people without a king. This appears horrible at first glance, but is a good thing because the only way Beowulf could obtain the treasure and save his people was by dying. The treasures made his people wealthy and he also killed the dragon. Like the dragon, the death of the supernatural being, Grendel’s death saved many people. His death provided safety to Heorot and it’s warriors. G. Matthews said that Grendel was a “Descendant of Cain, the first murderer in human history.” This shows that only good can come from the death of a monster so