Beowulf Themes
Beowulf's story is somewhat of an allegory in which he is depicted as the Christ figure. The theme of Beowulf is a contrast of good and evil which is manifest in both Christian and pagan elements; Beowulf represents good, while Grendel, his mother, and the dragon represent evil. The first monster our hero, Beowulf, faces is Grendel. Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain. "Unhappy creature (Grendel), he lived for a time in the home of the monsters' race, after God had condemned them as kin of Cain" (Norton, 28). Cain is the son of Eve, the woman who bore sin into the world. A connection, however vague, can be made between the maternal relations of Eve and Cain and Grendel and his mother. Grendel's mother can be considered to perso
Yet, in apparent disregard for fate and destiny, Beowulf prays to God for help and thanks God for victory and protection. Beowulf is the Christ figure; the monsters are sin personified; and, moreover, the work Beowulf effectively becomes the sword of the Spirit and the word of God. Furthermore, the dragon Beowulf battles can be said to be a picture of Satan: "the smooth hateful dragon who flies at night wrapped in flame" (56). Therefore, the sword was god-forged and godly. This idea propels him into many battles even though the competition seems overwhelming. Against Grendel's mother, original sin, Beowulf becomes the Christian soldier. "From (Cain) sprang all bad breeds, trolls and elves and monsters - likewise the giants who for a long time strove with God" (Norton, 28). Here the hero is using "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" to prevail (The Book of Ephesians 6. When Beowulf struggles against Grendel's mother, God grants him a precious gift: "The Wielder of Men granted me that I should see hanging on the wall a fair, ancient, great-sword - most often He has guided the man without friends - that I should wield the weapon" (Norton, 48). nify man's fall from grace and Grendel himself might embody sin.
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Acceptance Essays
