...Real Hero: Beowulf vs. Grendel The story of the famous battle between Beowulf and Grendel are told in two stories in The story of Beowulf by an unknown author and Grendel by John Gardner. The story of Beowulf is told in 3rd person by someone recounting the events and Grendel is told in a 1st person view of Grendel himself. There is lots of controversy whether which of the two is the real hero, so here is the gist of both stories for you to decide: There is a small town full of people that is being tormented by a monster who comes only to kill and bring terror among the people, the attacks continue and after a short while comes a famous warrior named Beowulf. He comes to defeat the town’s monster to save the people and end the mindless killings of Grendel. Both stories result in Grendel being killed and Beowulf being praised for his actions and he eventually becomes a great, fair king that all the people adore and love. The Anglo-Saxon definition of a hero is typically a man who is strong, brave and an intelligent warrior. They had to be willing to fight to the...
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...Beowulf and Grendel are both two healthy strong fighters. Although they are very different, both of them are considered epic heroes. But Grendel is seen as a villain to everybody in the community because of the past terror the he has caused. But humans kind of see Beowulf as a villain too because both of them are very strong and powerful men. They both have their monster like ways and kill with no remorse or motivation. Beowulf is really classified as a hero because of what he does for the community. He took broken cities from their ruler or king and captured the cities and brought in Christianity to even or balance out the pain and suffering of the families and innocent people of the community or city. Grendel on the other hand likes to evade...
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...Beowulf and Grendel are alike and they are different in certain ways. Beowulf is the epic hero in this poem. He has characteristics such as bravery and strength. Grendel is the villain in this poem. Grendel is also fearless and wants to win the battle just like Beowulf. Beowulf is human and Grendel is supernatural. Beowulf wants fame and he’s a part of a social structure. Grendel on the other hand is not part of a social structure, he’s an outcast. Beowulf’s expectations was to get a victory so that he could have the fame. He was brave to battle with Grendel. Everybody saw Beowulf as courageous after he won the battle. Beowulf is also known for performing great deeds. After his victory, Beowulf became the king of the Geats. However, Beowulf showed fairness by not...
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...Good Vs. Evil In Beowulf, the conflict between good and evil is the poem's main and most important aspect. The poet makes it clear that good and evil doesn’t exist as only opposites, but that both qualities are present in everyone. Beowulf represents the ability to do good or to perform acts selflessly and in help of others. Goodness is also showed throughout this epic as having the ability to cleanse evil. Even though evil is presented by Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, who are filled with a desire to act against people and ultimately destroy them, even pride, a human quality, is presented in Beowulf as a sign that evil exists. This story might even be considered a classic because it mainly talks about the old fashion good vs. evil, hero vs. villain. Beowulf and the three monsters show the significant difference between good and evil, and why god will always prevail. At the beginning of the play, one reads about Grendel, who is a man eating monster who is feared by everyone. Grendel represents sin and evil throughout the story in various ways. Evil is first shown by the monster Grendel when, “Suddenly then the God-cursed brute was creating havoc: greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men from their resting places and rushed to his lair”. (Beowulf 120-124). Grendel lives in the darkness and has absolutely no remorse on human life. This shows a very big quality of an evil being and how the Anglo-Saxons viewed evil in forms of monsters. Evil is also thought to be greedy...
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...Beowulf Part 1 * Grendel is introduced -murderous;evil;fiend;demon -In pain -Compared to the Devil * Why is Grendel evil? * He is a monster * Descendant form Cain * Grendel wants to feel loved by a higher power but cannot because Cains curse is on him -Grendel kills because of his misery and misery always enjoys company THEME: Light Vs. Darkness Hrothgar= Light Grendel= Darkness(Evil) * We see that Hrothgars men are happy and loyal Part 2 * Grendel slaughters 30 men in their sleep; he is ruthless * Grendel continues to kill for the next 12 winters * Hrothgar cannot be touched by Grendel -The Kings’ thrown is divine therefore Grendel will not touch it; it’s a boundary * Hrothgar does not care about his men * Hrothgar is selfish and a coward * He will not ask for help because of his pride * Men that volunteer to fight Grendel are doing it only for the glory Part 3 * Beowulf is introduced as an epic hero * Hrothgar did not seek help because of his pride; he is too proud * Characteristics that prove Beowulf is an epic hero: -loved by the Geats -going on a quest -mightiest men -strong -bitter and fresh -risking death Part 4 * Wulfgar request that Beowulf remove all weapons before entering onto the premises; he wants to leave these men defenseless to keep Hrothgar’ safe; Anglo Saxon Code of Conduct * Beowulf is not a fool so some men drop their weapons to follow him into Herot while the...
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...* Essay Topic Good vs. Evil. How are the concepts of good and evil presented in Beowulf? Does this reveal anything about Anglo-Saxon society? Beowulf is the greatest surviving Old English poem, an epic that recounts the main events in the life of a legendary hero named Beowulf. Beowulf’s destiny is to fight and conquer the monsters that terrorize the kingdom of the Danes. Many events in Beowulf are directly related to the Bible, making the constant battle between good and evil one of the most important themes. Beowulf is a courageous, strong and loyal warrior. He is brave, and he has self confidence bordering on insanity, but he’s also generous and kind towards others. Beowulf shows that he has confidence when he fights Grendel without weapons. When he defeats Grendel, he demonstrates that men are capable of destroying evil if they wish to do so. Beowulf’s qualities make him the epitome of a hero. “Beowulf emphasizes values that were important to Norse warriors, such as courage, loyalty to one's king and comrades, and honor for those who fight and die bravely. The story emphasizes how fragile life and fame can be. Like any person, Beowulf must find meaning in his world while accepting the fact that he will eventually die. He meets that challenge by facing danger bravely and trusting that the story of his deeds will cause him to live on in the memories of those who hear it.” (from the New Catholic Encyclopedia) Goodness is represented throughout the poem by the characters...
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...The plots of Beowulf reveal how society changes culturally as time progresses. The epic poem initially begins as a story symbolizing Pagan ideas and beliefs. As time advances, the epic poem gradually evolves into a story involving Christianity. The latest variation of Beowulf tackled various issues society encounters in our modern world. Overall, Beowulf is an ever-changing epic. Elements of Paganism is seen numerous times throughout the epic poem. Many examples of Paganism is seen in Beowulf’s character. Beowulf’s character is written as a hero. In Pagan society, heroes fight or go to war for fame or to be remembered when they meet their death. This was Beowulf’s purpose for volunteering to leave Geatland to venture to Denmark to end evil. Many characters possess superhuman strength. Beowulf and Grendel are prime examples of characters with superhuman strength. Beowulf displays his abilities when he swims underwater for hours without gasping or oxygen. Grendel displays his superhuman abilities with his incredible strength as he murders Danish soldiers. The symbolism of Good vs Evil displays with Grendel and Beowulf’s gruesome duel. Within the many examples of Paganism, Christian aspects also appear in Beowulf. An example of Christian faith in the poem is when Beowulf and his troops arrive in Denmark to battle Grendel, the group thank God for the safe ride to Denmark. A major example is Beowulf’s character. Beowulf’s heroic personality and decisions consider him to be a God-like...
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...Light vs. Dark In the epic poem Beowulf, a battle between light and dark arises throughout Heorot, and even though it looked as if darkness had fallen over society, light broke through the darkness, ultimately shining back onto civilization. This darkness that has fallen over Heorot follows Grendel, the monster from Hell, with every step he takes. Only coming out at night to terrorize the people, this darkness seems to be unbeatable, and all hope seems lost. But, Beowulf, a warrior who “swam in the blackness of night, hunting monsters out of the ocean, and killing them one by one” (Beowulf 417-422) has come to Heorot with the intention of driving out this darkness. This epic battle that is soon to take place will help to illuminate the difference between the light of Heorot and the darkness of Grendel. Leading up to the battle Heorot looks to be elegant and shining with beauty, but once Grendel and darkness enter into the halls, all of this goes away, and turns dark. Beowulf is called to the rescue, and brings with him the light that will ultimately defeat Grendel, and show that light will defeat darkness in the darkest times. As the light begins to fade away in the halls of Heorot, Grendel arises from is lair and uses the darkness to create a fear of death. While the night sky is over-head, the soldiers are unable to see what lurks in the shadows, and the “{soldiers} sworn to stay after dark and stem that horror with a sweep of their swords. And then, in the morning, this...
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...The epic poem Beowulf is one of the most important Anglo-Saxon literary works and it should be fairly easy to make a blockbuster movie out of this story. It contains all the elements of a Hollywood movie; it has a strong handsome leading man, plenty of battles, and let’s not forget about the mystical dragon. So with all this adventure I figured that the movie would fall in line with the poem but you could imagine my surprise while watching to see just how far it strayed away from the original. As I was watching the movie I noticed little differences, like the characters are not how they were described in the book nor was the setting adequate enough to portray how grand Heorot really was but for the most part the story line was followed. The story started to change the night that Grendel was introduced. The movie showed Grendel as a more human form of a monster who started attacking Heorot because the villagers were making too much noise. I didn’t remember reading that Grendel was sensitive to noise or that he attacked the village while they were celebrating. As the movie progresses it tells us that Hrothgar is Grendel’s father because he was seduced by Grendel’s mother. The poem never even hinted of a love affair between Grendel’s mother and anyone so this part of the movie was a stretch. This change in the plot makes the way the characters are portrayed seem completely different and makes it harder to connect them with their original character’s personalities in the poem. Although...
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...Beowulf - the eponymous hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem. So, if someone asks you what the setting of Beowulf is, you can tell them that it's 5th or 6th century Scandinavia. (Scandinavia is the part of Europe that includes Sweden and Denmark.) Conflict: The main conflict in the last battle is Beowulf vs. the dragon. The battle is symbolic of Beowulf vs. himself. Beowulf feels a responsibility to himself. * Beowulf, along with a group of Geatish warriors, sails across the sea to the land of the Danes to fight the demon Grendel. * Beowulf is graciously received by King Hrothgar and Queen Wealhtheow, who gratefully accept his offer of help * When Grendel attacks Heorot Hall, Beowulf meets him in hand-to-hand combat. Beowulf tears Grendel's arm from his socket, mortally wounding the monster. * Beowulf is thanked by King Hrothgar, who bestows rich gifts on him and hosts a feast in his honor. * Beowulf goes to sleep after the feast, but in his absence Heorot is attacked again by Grendel's mother. Details: The dragon of Beowulf is featured as negative creature, and is associated with the evil side of the good vs. evil battle. Beowulf is angry as he looks on the dragon’s lair" His mind is set on facing the dragon with also a premonition of his own death, Beowulf knows that he will be dead, but he will fight till the last minute against the dragon. “man against monster. I shall do this deed undaunted by death and get you gold or else get my ending, borne off in battle...
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...Good vs. Evil By: Maria Domingo 3rd block- Ms. Best Good always seems to overcome the evil in every story, novel, movie etc. In both Beowulf and Star wars there is a hero and a villain. Their stories each have a meaning on what is good and evil, most importantly sacrifices. They fight for what they believe and to save their own people. In Beowulf, King Hrothgar builds a great Mead-hall called Herot, where his people and warriors can celebrate and share stories. Despite their celebrations, Grendel, one of Evil’s sons, terrorizes them and kills them every night he hears them happy and cheerful. One day Beowulf, a Geatish warrior, comes upon Demark to defeat Grendel. He fights him unarmed and defeats him by tearing off the monster’s arm. Grendel is mortally wounded and dies in his swamp. However Grendel’s mother seeks revenge, killing one of Hrothgar’s most trusted advisors. Beowulf still fights back by killing her as well. Years pass and a dragon comes to terrorize Denmark, Beowulf also defeats this monster, but dies in the process. He had given all his strength and courage to save his people. In Star Wars IV, Darth Vader had intercepted Princess Leia’s ship and interrogated the crew and ordering his stormtroopers to search the ship for secret documents he believe is there. Princess Leia gets a message in one of her robots, R2, and lets them escape so someone can get the cry for help. Eventually Luke Skywalker finds R2 and stumbles across a bit of the...
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...Paganism vs. Christianity in Beowulf Thesis Statement: “Beowulf” was written by either a Christian author or a pagan author because of the presence of several ideas involving both pagan and Christian ideologies found close together throughout the poem. Based on the elements presented in the poem, it is apparent that there are evidences that will identify the characteristics of Christianity. On the other hand, the belief of paganism was also included in the lines of the poem. There is a presumption that poem “Beowulf” is influenced by a Christian author shown by the Anglo-Saxon understanding of the concept of beauty, which begins with the story of Creation in Genesis Chapter 1 of the Bible, where God created the world in seven (7) days. The language or the text used in the poem presented the concept of “scop”, which originated from the Old English language which means to shape. God is being referred to as the Great Shaper and all the beauty seen by the Anglo-Saxon were fruits of God’s creation. The term “scop” can also represent a poet. In this poem, the Anglo-Saxons considered the fact that the author made use of beautiful words and imagery to create a poem is comparable to God’s work when he created earth. This can be read in the lines “The clear song of a skilled poet, telling with mastery man’s beginnings, how the Almighty had made the earth” (Beowulf 86-98). Another proof that the author is a Christian is when there was mention of the story of the two brothers Cain and Abel...
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...also a polished speaker who can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence. (Beowulf, 258-259) 2. The hero possesses distinctive weapons of great size and power, often heirlooms or presents from the gods. (Grendel, 102-125) 3. The hero must undertake a long, perilous journey, often involving a descent into the Underworld (Greek, "Neukeia"), which tests his endurance, courage, and cunning. (Beowulf, 539-541) 4. Although his fellows may be great warriors (like Achilles and Beowulf, he may have a comitatus, or group of noble followers with whom he grew up), he undertakes a task that no one else dare attempt. (Beowulf’s fellows 206-209) 5. Whatever virtues his race most prizes, these the epic hero as a cultural exemplar possesses in abundance. (Beowulf, 415-418) 6. The concept of arete (Greek for "bringing virtue to perfection") is crucial to understanding the epic protagonist. (Beowulf 340-347) 7. The hero establishes his nobility through single combat. A hero gains little honour by slaying a lesser mortal, but only by challenging heroes like himself or adversaries of superhuman power. (Beowulf removing his armor for it to be a fair fight 671-676) 8. The two great epic adversaries, the hero and his antagonist, meet at the climax, which must be delayed as long as possible to sustain maximum interest. (Beowulf vs, Grendel 749-756) 9. The hero's epic adversary is often a "god-despiser," one who has more respect for his own mental...
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...Summer Assignment for AA Junior English 2009-10 Welcome to next year’s AA Junior English class! The class is as rigorous as it is enriching, in that it covers more than a thousand years of British literature and culture. During the summer, you must read Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf and complete the assignments listed (including the 25 vocabulary words). Heaney’s translation is available at most bookstores, or you can order his version online (or ask a current AA Junior English student if you can buy his/her used copy). The ISBN is 0393320979. It has a black cover, with a picture of a head and shoulders covered in chain mail. No other version is acceptable! DUE: Monday, August 12, 2009. STEP #1 – Purchase and read the Beowulf version listed above (both Borders at Superstition Springs Mall and Barnes and Noble at ValVista and the 60 know you will need to purchase this book). The text on the right side (the odd numbered pages) is the modern translation. STEP #2 – Complete the Vocabulary assignment (it may actually serve you better to complete the vocabulary assignment prior to reading the text). Make sure the definitions you use match the use of the word in context. You will be responsible for knowing the definitions of these words as they are used in context in the epic. Type each word and its definition in Times New Roman font, size 12. 1. anathema (page 9) 14. whorled (127) 2. lair (11) 15. ensconced (131) 3. wassail (11) 16...
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...Gilgamesh vs Beowulf: Joseph Campbell once said, "When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness." Gilgamesh and Beowulf have a great power to release their strengths when needed. Therefore both Gilgamesh and Beowulf are examples of an epic hero due to battles they fight within themselves and seeking accomplishments in life; however, Beowulf is a better example because he is selfless. Gilgamesh has had many battles to make him think he is the best. A major battle Gilgamesh has had was against himself. Gilgamesh hid his battle so abundantly that not a single person realized his toughest battle. That battle was him not believing he is mortal, “Only Gods are immortal anyway” (58.2). These two heroes have fought tremendous battles, but nobody sees their biggest battle that they have because it is within themselves; even though, Beowulf too had many battles in his life, but his battle made him the best. Beowulf had a major battle within himself as well as Gilgamesh did. Beowulf’s battle was to prove that he was great, he was doubted by Unferth. Unferth told Beowulf “You’ve been lucky in your battles, Beowulf, but I think your luck may change if you challenge Grendel” (27.258-259). With Unferth doubting him, Beowulf knew that this is the time to prove that he is worthy enough by helping the Danes out. Beowulf responds greatly by saying “I fought that beast’s last battle, left...
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