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Fate In Beowulf

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Beowulf was written in the 11th century in Anglo- Saxon, which was the style of language and culture in Brittan. It is proven the story was based from the ancestors of the Scandinavian Anglo-Saxons, whose descendants eventually became the British, because the culture described in the epic is pagan and by the 11th century Britain had been Christianized. The pagan belief of “fate” makes this a part of pre-Christian times; the belief that fate controls the events of one’s life is a reoccurring theme in the English epic. Fate strongly influences the character and beliefs of Beowulf; He attributes his success and struggles in fights to fate. The author shows that God has the power to control any and everything due to predestination of fate. “Fate goes ever as fate must.” (Ln. 455) Spoken by Beowulf in reference to how fate control the destiny of man, this the how Beowulf’s atmosphere is dark and pagan. The pre-Christian world believed that there was nothing man could do to avoid death. They needed to embrace fate. At Beowulf’s funeral the …show more content…
The characters in Beowulf all have predestined fates, the only thing they can control is the amount of strength and courage they have as they face their battles. Grendel, Beowulf’s first opponent and descendant of Cain, was destined for a life of hatred and misery. He symbolize evil and he did not have many options, the morning came when it was his time to die. “Since fate had allowed him the prospect of plenty. Province willed not to permit him anymore of men under heaven to eat in the night time.” Grendel was…fatally hurt… His days were numbered, the end of his life was coming over him.” (Ln.818-821) These excerpts suggest that Grendel’s specific destiny is to kill others until he is to be killed by another and the day came where it was time for him to be

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