The Relationship Between Good and Evil in Beowulf Essay

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Throughout Beowulf I have been intrigued by the subject of good and evil and their relationship. Primarily how there are a figure of different ways to believe of the relationship between the two. I think that in Beowulf there are many interesting ways that evil and good are portrayed. For the most portion Beowulf represents good/ heroes and so there are three chief representations of immorality that Beowulf faces. One thing I realized about the relationship between the two is that you could non hold one without the other.

For illustration. the ground that Beowulf becomes so good known and celebrated is because he defeats an evil devil ( Grendel ) . A hero is person who possesses a huge sum of bravery and person who is known for get the better ofing a certain obstruction ( s ) . An evil figure is frequently the obstruction that the hero must over semen ; it is person or something that is frequently thought of as immortal and feared by the populace. Without Grendel or any short of evil figure. Beowulf would non hold made a name for himself. When it comes down to it ; evil is what makes person a hero.

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In this narrative. the thought of immorality is presented through the three monsters and the action of killing. the thought of good is represented threw Beowulf and comitatus. Universally. reasonably much all common people narratives. narratives. and heroic poems that involve good and evil are about the two combating it out. It is a manner of heightening the narrative. no 1 wants to hear a narrative about a hero accomplishing a end easy. the thought of a challenge and battle is what truly involvements people. In Beowulf it is more that Beowulf is supporting the people from the immorality.

It is non a pleasant scene when Grendel comes ramping into the Mead hall ; he starts assailing everyone and everything. killing many in the procedure. Beowulf makes a self-praise that he will get the better of Grendel in conflict. but it besides seems he merely defends the peace of the community at manus. “So times were pleasant for the people at that place until eventually one. a monster out of snake pit. began to work his immorality in the universe. Grendel was the name of this inexorable devil. ” ( 99-103 ) An interesting inquiry to inquire is how do you cognize who is the hero and who is the evil figure?

In existent life there is no 1 side to anything. Some people may see a individual a hero and some people may see that same individual the evil figure. It is all about seting it in excessively perspective. and who the “hero” is profiting. For illustration. Beowulf is a hero to the Danes because he defeats Grendel and that bennifits them because it means they are safe for the average clip and will non be disturbed by Grendel once more. Later though in the heroic poem. Grendel’s female parent conflicts Beowulf. and for what ground? She was revenging her boy. Avenger a lost love 1. seems like something a hero might make.

So you can non state that Grendels mother’s logical thinking was really unreasonable. because in the terminal she was merely honouring her boy. in that sense Beowulf could even be considered the evil figure. its merely all approximately position. Truly though Beowulf it would be difficult to conceive of Grendel. Grendel’s female parent. or the firedrake as anything else except immorality and monstrous. but excessively some in the narrative these characters may non be considered evil. so excessively sum it up. at first it may look really directly frontward excessively who the “good guy” is and who the “bad guy” is. but in the terminal the line between good and evil can frequently acquire blurred.

Without a hero you could non hold immoralities. with out immorality you could non hold a hero. Although we look at good and evil as antonyms they need each other to specify one another. A hero needs to suppress some kind of immorality to gain the rubric of a true “hero” and Beowulf is a perfect illustration. Once he defeats Grendel the Danes adore him. he achieves a undertaking that appeared near impossible. When he does stop up eventually get the better ofing Grendel he earns the rubric of a true hero.

Beowulf and Grendel are similar in the sense that they portion a really similar degree of physical strength and this is true with all the monsters Beowulf faces. All of the monsters are really evil and immortal. with Beowulf. since he has such expansive power he is besides thought to be a small spot immortal in some senses. “The monster wrenched and wrestled with him but Beowulf was aware of his mighty strength. the fantastic gifts God had showered on him: He relied for aid on the Lord of All. on His attention and favor.

So he overcame the enemy. brought down the hell-brute. ” ( 1269-1274 ) So another feature that Beowulf and these monsters portion are that they are all non normal human existences. they all portion some kind of extrasensory power and strength. which could either be really good or really bad depending on how one utilizes them. I find the thought that Beowulf and the monsters have similar traits and features really interesting. because their power is what makes them similar but what separates them is how and what they really use that power for.

Like Uncle Ben one time said in Spiderman “With great power. comes great duty. ” When it comes down excessively it. it is about who has more moral strength. between the hero and the evil figure who is traveling to utilize their power for “the right thing” . Beowulf lives a life of illustriousness and glorification. he gets known as a hero and he dies a hero. When he fights the firedrake. it seems that that is the manner he would desire to decease. supporting the community.

Excessively be a hero you must take hazards. hazards that may be considered by the mean individual excessively unsafe to even see taking. Although. these hazards are non ever about contending a monster. Heros do non ever come in such an obvious signifier ; some one does non hold to hold reverent strength or any sort of ace power to be a hero. most heroes are the every twenty-four hours people. A hero does non hold excessively kill a devil animal or salvage 1000000s. a hero is merely person who is willing to do a difference. no affair how large or how little.

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