Beowulf
It is common opinion that Beowulf was written by a Christian poet. This was probably true because at the time when it was written, most of the few people who knew how to read and write were in the clergy. There are various references within the poem to elements of the Christian religion. However, the story is about Pagan people and certain aspects of their culture are even glorified. The ambiguity of Beowulf's religious content has caused confusion as to what significance religion had in inspiring the author and in what manner the author meant to inspire or influence his audience. I do not think that Beowulf is a Christian allegory because Beowulf had very little in common with the Biblical figure of Jesus Christ. I think that religion was not the primary thematic concern of the writer. Although there are discrepancies between the two styles of thinking, Beowulf seems to praise values which were considered moral and good among all humanity, both Christian and Pagan. The text of Beowulf clearly shows that at some point in time Biblical allusions were added to it, and suggests that someone learned in Christianity helped shape the story. The initial depiction of Grendel regarded the beast as "a fiend out of hell," and claimed, "..
This technique allowed the writer to accurately capture the complex moral structure of his society. Beowulf is an epic poem the tells the story of one man's incredible adventures. I do not think that Beowulf was written as a primarily religious text. I think it is important to note that Unferth does not question the idea of boasting in itself but only idle boasting. Beowulf also asked to see the treasure before he died which shows how important it was to him. However, Beowulf is also quite open about his desire for fame and treasure. The fact that Beowulf is still popular today makes it clear that the writer succeeded in this task. He warns the reader about indulging in wealth and pride. Combining the two systems of thought simply gave the writer a bigger pool of themes and ideas to draw upon. The culture that produced this story was a blend of Pagan and Christian beliefs. I think that the Christian values dominate slightly in the poem because of the great amount of biblical language. If one reads the poem as folk story which was meant to entertain people of its time and reflect their values and ideals, the answer to the question of religion not difficult to find. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that their literature would reflect this mixture. I think that they are the main difference between the Pagan and Christian values in the story. The narrator of the poem definitely leans toward the Christian side of this religious balance.
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Acceptance Essays
