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The Three Battles In Beowulf

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In Beowulf, a wide variety of aspects are portrayed but only one of them captivates the reader the most: Beowulf’s battles between Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. They all share similarities and differences and each of the opponents symbolize different things. Firstly, all three of Beowulf’s battles are similar in some way. For example, in battles one and two Beowulf fights Grendel in one form or another. The first time it is Grendel and the second time it is Grendel’s mother. Another good example has to do with the fact that in battles one and two, Beowulf cannot use mortal weapons to defeat his enemies. In Beowulf’s battle with Grendel, Beowulf uses his bare hands. He conquers the fight with Grendel’s mother by using a sword …show more content…

For instance, these battles are not fought for the same reason. Overall Beowulf fights for glory throughout the epic poem, but there are specific reasons when it comes down to the three battles. First and foremost, Beowulf fights Grendel to protect the people of Heorot. Secondly, he fights Grendel’s mother because instead of grieving over the loss of Grendel, she goes to Heorot for revenge. Lastly, Beowulf fights the dragon because not only does he want to protect his people but he also wants to gain the treasure the dragon so fiercely guards. Perhaps the most compelling difference might be the fact that Beowulf fights the last battle with Wiglaf, instead of by himself. Unlike the rest of Beowulf’s men, Wiglaf stays with Beowulf as he remembers the loyalty, trust, and generosity that Beowulf constantly shows to his men. In this battle, Beowulf does fight the dragon but towards the end Wiglaf step in and aids Beowulf. Each of these reasons shows the differences between the battles. Even though the differences and similarities between Beowulf’s battles are rather interesting and abundant, they are not the only things that should receive all the attention. The symbolism of Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon are just as

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