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Critical analysis of beowulf
Beowulf character analysis essay
Critical analysis of beowulf
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All seemed well until, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and takes back her son’s arm. Beowulf walks back into the hall after all of this is over and hears Hrothgar lament the death of his counsellor. Hrothgar realizes that Grendel's mother was just trying to avenge her son. This attack brings out the stories of the country people and their monster stories. Off in the distance, Beowulf hears a mere and he bolsters courage from Hrothgar.
Grendel is disturbed by the Danes enjoyment of life and happiness; for revenge he ruins their enjoyment and happiness. Grendel is a descendant of Cain, “he was spawned in that slime, conceived…monster” who was a “ murderous creature banished by God”(19-22). He finds harassing and killing innocent people entertaining. Beowulf comes and vanishes Grendel and stops him from continuing his evil acts. On the other hand, Beowulf and the Danes assume “Grendel`s elimination” is the last monster they will encounter, but “believing that [the] evil has been eradicated” the unexpected happens, “Grendel’s mother appear[s]”(Kardaun 1).
Source: Cain and Abel Allusion #1: “He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark, but the throne itself, the treasure-seat, he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord's outcast” (Beowulf, lines 164-169). Allusion Identification: The author alludes to the story of Cain and Abel through Grendel and Beowulf, showing Grendel as the villain, similar to Cain. The author writes the character of Grendel as an outcast, unaccepted by the people of Heorot. While following the script of being an evil creature, the author of Beowulf takes it a step further, shunning the creature entirely.
He carefully strategized his plan to defeat Grendel. He waited for Grendel to come to Heorot, then surprise attacked him. Grendel put up a fight, but Beowulf was stronger and more intelligent. Beowulf ripped the arm off of the beast, sending him away to die. Not only did Beowulf have to defeat Grendel, but Grendel’s mother came back for revenge, so Beowulf set out to the darkness where Grendel and his mother lived.
Grendel was this grim beast who haunted the moors and secluded fens; this troublesome one had long lived with monsters since the Creator had declared his exile. Grendel had been punished and separated from the company of man and God through the sins of Cain. Being a descendant from Cain, Grendel is full of evil and deceitfulness. This fuels his hatred, and a desire to destroy goodness from the world of which he can have no part in. His first night of violent attacks was describe as “The unholy creature, grim and ravenous, was ready at once, ruthless and cruel, and took from their thirty thanes; thence
An extraordinary mead-corridor has been manufactured named Heorot, where Hrothgar rules the Danes. The lobby is assaulted by the beast Grendel, a plunge of the race of Cain. Beowulf of the Geats goes to Heorot and slaughters the beast with his uncovered hands. The following night the creature 's mom looks for retaliation; Beowulf seeks after her to her sanctuary, and kills her as well. Beowulf returns home, and in time gets to be King of the Geats.
It is important to note that this supernatural being is one of Cain’s clan who was banished by the Creator for killing Abel. “Cain got no good from committing that murder/Because the Almighty made him anathema/And out of the curse of this exile there sprang /Ogres and elves and evil phantoms” (Heaney 109-12). In other words, monsters are created and ostracized on behalf of Cain’s action. Grendel is destined to be an atrocious demon, similar to the caste system where people are unable to move up a caste. Furthermore, the creature can be related to the character, Ralph, from the movie Wreck-It Ralph, where they both are rejected and mistreated only for being what they are.
Do you like books with monsters who kill and eat people, monsters who drown people and chop their heads off, and heroes who defeat great monsters like dragons? Then I think Beowulf is the book for you. It is a action packed book with good morals and themes. It told you evil from good. It is a little gory at some times, but teaches you civilized from savage, and light from dark.
They think he is a monster. While it is true that he is of the bloodline of Cain, it has not always been that he has despised the people who live in the village. Not too long ago in deep space there was two totally different planets. Planet Anglo-Saxon and planet X, planet Anglo-Saxon was a kingdom made of humans which was dominated by King Harold. While planet X was home to the outlaws or as other people say monsters which was dominated by an evil Queen who was the mother of Grendel.
Grendel was someone who the Dane’s believed to be evil because the Lord’s love was unknown to him. He was carried by emotion and whims and felt jealousy and loneliness. This had given Grendel similar human characteristics to Cain in The Bible. He wanted to be accepted by humans but they only saw a monster, a sinner, a demonic superhuman of pure evil. He felt like he would never get accepted and never live a normal life, so he decided to attack Heorot out of pure jealousy that was shown by Cain in The Bible.
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
This scene is relevant due to its differing plot from the other two slayings. During the killing of Grendel, Beowulf tears off his arm and ultimately destroys the wretched monster alone and without frivolous weapons. When the duel between Grendel’s mother arises, Beowulf
The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.
Within the epic Grendel is seen as evil immediately “The monster's/ Thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws:/ He slipped through the door and there in the silence /Snatched up thirty men, smashed them /Unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies, /The blood dripping behind him, back /To
Beowulf captures him and Grendel instantly regrets his decision and wishes he could retreat. ” Now he discovered – once the afflictor Of men, tormentor of their days – what it meant To feud with the Almighty God”. Ultimately Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm from his body and rids King Hrothgar’s people from the