Theme Of Evil In Beowulf - 996 Words

Beowulf versus Evil Heroes can be in our everyday life or someone you’ve seen only once but all of our heroes have something in common. Their heroic traits make up who they are and some character traits my heroes have in common are kindness, courage, intelligence, and empathy. Beowulf is also a hero in my eyes because he possesses all of these traits and more. What traits do your heroes have in common? Robert Nye’s long poem, Beowulf: a New Telling, is a fictional long poem about a hero, Beowulf, who constantly battles the face of evil in many forms. The theme of this text is about good vs. evil which shows up many times, one after another. To start, Beowulf as a young warrior portrayed many traits of a hero such as brave and fearless†¦show more content†¦Bravery is an important character trait for heroes in order to help them defeat other monsters/ evil and this is still the same for Beowulf as he defeats Grendel’s reincarnation. Therefore, when Beowulf was a young warrior, he had many character traits of a hero including being gallant, confident, and bold. Continuing on, Beowulf as an older king has traits different from Beowulf as a young warrior such as cunning and selfless which fuels my reason of why Beowulf is a dynamic character. For example, Beowulf is strategic as he devises a plan involving bees against the Firedrake and so Beowulf releases the Queen Bee just as, â€Å"The Firedrake took a deep breath and swallowed [it] (98-103). During this ordeal, Beowulf cunningly creates a plan to defeat the Firedrake by releasing the Queen Bee into the mouth in which the rest of the bees follow, stinging the Firedrake from the inside. The word clever means â€Å"able to use your intelligence to do something, especially in a slightly dishonest way† (Longman dictionary, 178). Beowulf is dynamic because whilst Beowulf was a young warrior, he would have never thought to attempt this. Beowulf needed this trait as an older king because he would have never been able to finish off the Firedrake if he wasn’t cunning. Additionally, B eowulf is caring as he says, â€Å"The Firedrake will pay for what it has done- not only with its life, but with the gold he keeps watch over†Show MoreRelatedTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf882 Words   |  4 PagesIn the epic poem, Beowulf, perhaps the most important theme seen throughout is the portrayal of good and evil, and how this portrayal impacts the story. The epic poem is about an epic hero, Beowulf, who is completely thought of as a good character and a strong warrior. The unknown author of this poem makes Beowulf out to be, ultimately, a glorified killer of the perceived monsters. However, the poem in and of itself is an opinionated story which gives the bare amount of opposition to show that perhapsRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf859 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf is an epic Anglo-Saxon poem, which tells a story of a hero who is destined to defeat several monsters in order to save a kingdom from peril. The underlying meaning is good versus evil with go od always prevailing in the end. The theme of good versus evil was portrayed through the characters and events. Beowulf is the good guy fighting against evil. Beowulf is not just one person fighting against the evils of the world. In many cases, he is fighting for humanity’s sake. Beowulf is the epicRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf997 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf is an epic poem that was written in Old English in between the 8th and 11th century. King Hrothgar who rules the Danes, is being tormented by this beast called, Grendel. For some time now, Grendel has been attacking Heorot Hall, a mead-hall, and has been killing off many of the Danish soldiers and sometimes even devouring some. The king didn’t seem able to protect the people in his village from this great demon. Until, one day, Beowulf shows up and actually offers to help King Hrothgar byRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf1040 Words   |  5 PagesWhile the epic poem Beowulf has no specified author or exact translations, the legendary story echoes through time as the fame of this hero continues to expand. Beowulf, the King of the Geats, is the protagonist in this epic; many describe him as the greatest man to have ever lived. Beowulf fits the architype for hero extremely well , possessing all the essential traits; he creates an aura as the ultimate source of good in this entire story. Of course, Beowulf is not alone, there are several otherRead MoreTheme Of Good And Evil In Beowulf1190 Words   |  5 Pagesthere was no evil. The start of evil was marked when a jealous angel, Satan, desired equality to God. He thrust an ever-lasting battle into play when he battled God for supremacy. One-third of all the angels in heaven, including Satan, were thrown from heaven onto Earth. God’s perfect creation became faulted when the fallen angel, Satan, tempted Adam and Eve into eating a forbidden fruit. By partaking of the forbidden fruit, sin was born on Earth. The birthing of such catastrophe--evil--has affectedRead MoreTheme Of Good Vs Evil In Beowulf753 Words   |  4 Pagespoem of Beowulf, the theme is good vs. evil. But in the movie Hollywood made, everything is different. Beowulf is not honest, women are sexually powerful, and the monsters are Hrothg ar and Beowulf’s sons, etc. They added many things that were definitely now in the poem. If you read the poem, then watching the movie you would be confused. You would be asking so many questions. But the current audience thinks good vs. evil is boring. Nobody likes a liar and the Hollywood version of Beowulf makes himRead MoreGood vs. Evil Found in Beowulf807 Words   |  3 PagesGood vs. Evil Found in Beowulf In the story of Beowulf, there are many different themes found. Many people argue the main theme found in this story. This has been argued for a very long time and will go on for many more years to come. Although many themes in this story stick out and a main theme will never be accepted, one main theme is very noticeable in the story of Beowulf. The main theme found in Beowulf is good versus evil. Good versus evil is very easy to recognize. â€Å"Some peopleRead MoreBeowulf: Themes1038 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf: Themes The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel s mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elementsRead MorePaganism In Beowulf953 Words   |  4 PagesPaganism in Beowulf Beowulf was composed when England was transitioning from a pagan to a Christian culture. In chapter 3 of A Little History of Literature, it is said that Beowulf was likely written by a Christian monk who inserted Christian themes into the story. This is why Beowulf reflects both Christian and pagan views. These two religions and their elements affect the story in different ways. There are pagan views of fate and fame in Beowulf, but there are also Christian themes of humilityRead MoreGood vs. Evil in Beowulf1456 Words   |  6 PagesGood vs. Evil in Beowulf Beowulf is longest and greatest early Anglo-Saxon poem which was composed in England sometime in the eighth century AD by a literate scop. This poem was created in the oral poetic tradition. This poem is considered as an epic because it is a long narrative poem which composed in an elevated style, dealing with the glories of hero (Tolkien 24). The setting of this epic is the six century in Denmark and southern Sweden. The protagonist, Beowulf is a noble warrior represents