Unwanted Qualities In Beowulf
Unwanted Qualities from the Monsters
Epic poems and tales give valuable information on how people were to attempt to live. They also give information on what a good person was supposed to be. In Beowulf, the poem tells us about certain qualities that we should not have. A monster that Beowulf was to defeat represents each of these qualities.
In the poem, there are three monsters. They each represent qualities that good humans should not have, while Beowulf can represent some of the qualities we should want. The first of the three monsters is Grendel. Grendel was an outcast in the Dane society. “He had dwelt for a time/ in misery among the banished.” (l. 104-105) He is a descendent of Cain, therefore expected to be evil. And when King Hrothgar …show more content…
The second of the three monsters is Grendel’s mother. After Grendel’s death, the Danes never thought about if Grendel had some family or friends who would avenge his death. In that society, avenging someone’s death would have been acceptable. Even Beowulf knew that avenging a death was acceptable when he said, “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better/ to avenge dear ones than to indulge in the mourning.” (l. 1384-1385) The Danes did not regard Grendel as a human and was not expecting his death to be avenged; yet Grendel’s mother had a different view of this. She wanted revenge for her son’s death. Grendel’s mother represents vengeance. Grendel’s mother is also an outcast within the society and a descendant of Cain. She is not so vengeful that she goes on a killing spree, but vengeful enough to attack the mead hall at night. After she takes King Hrothgar’s, “most beloved/ of the friend’s between the two seas,” (l 1296-1297), she returns to her lair, deep underground, at the bottom of the lake. Because the Danes also wanted to avenge the death of the king’s friend, Beowulf, unselfishly, decides to go avenge the death. He must swim to the bottom of the lake to get to Grendel’s mother’s lair. This shows that a vengeful spirit can live deep inside someone, and to defeat this spirit, the search will be deep inside that person. Once Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother, the entire lake becomes purified of …show more content…
It had been fifty years after Beowulf had defeated Grendel and his mother. Beowulf had returned home to his homeland and became king there and his rule was successful. There was a dragon that lived near by to Beowulf’s kingdom, which guarded old treasure. A thief stole a goblet from him and awakened him, and the dragon then went on a revengeful killing spree. “The dragon began to belch out flames/ and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow/ that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger/ would leave nothing alive in his wake.” (l. 2312-2315) The dragon held onto this treasure, which is useless now, so long that he was able to know exactly what was gone and he must have had it back. The dragon represents greed and selfishness. The dragon began to slay people because of his missing goblet. When Beowulf heard about the dragon, he decided to do something about it immediately, as a good king should. During the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, both parties were fatally wounded. The dragon fought to the death to protect “his” treasure that he found, while Beowulf fought to protect “his” people. The dragon’s greed and selfishness had taken over his life and his lifestyle, which became the death of me. It can also be seen that Beowulf had allowed greed to overcome him, and that being the death of him also. He wanted the dragon’s treasure for his people, and his last wish was to see the treasure that he
Epic poems and tales give valuable information on how people were to attempt to live. They also give information on what a good person was supposed to be. In Beowulf, the poem tells us about certain qualities that we should not have. A monster that Beowulf was to defeat represents each of these qualities.
In the poem, there are three monsters. They each represent qualities that good humans should not have, while Beowulf can represent some of the qualities we should want. The first of the three monsters is Grendel. Grendel was an outcast in the Dane society. “He had dwelt for a time/ in misery among the banished.” (l. 104-105) He is a descendent of Cain, therefore expected to be evil. And when King Hrothgar …show more content…
The second of the three monsters is Grendel’s mother. After Grendel’s death, the Danes never thought about if Grendel had some family or friends who would avenge his death. In that society, avenging someone’s death would have been acceptable. Even Beowulf knew that avenging a death was acceptable when he said, “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better/ to avenge dear ones than to indulge in the mourning.” (l. 1384-1385) The Danes did not regard Grendel as a human and was not expecting his death to be avenged; yet Grendel’s mother had a different view of this. She wanted revenge for her son’s death. Grendel’s mother represents vengeance. Grendel’s mother is also an outcast within the society and a descendant of Cain. She is not so vengeful that she goes on a killing spree, but vengeful enough to attack the mead hall at night. After she takes King Hrothgar’s, “most beloved/ of the friend’s between the two seas,” (l 1296-1297), she returns to her lair, deep underground, at the bottom of the lake. Because the Danes also wanted to avenge the death of the king’s friend, Beowulf, unselfishly, decides to go avenge the death. He must swim to the bottom of the lake to get to Grendel’s mother’s lair. This shows that a vengeful spirit can live deep inside someone, and to defeat this spirit, the search will be deep inside that person. Once Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother, the entire lake becomes purified of …show more content…
It had been fifty years after Beowulf had defeated Grendel and his mother. Beowulf had returned home to his homeland and became king there and his rule was successful. There was a dragon that lived near by to Beowulf’s kingdom, which guarded old treasure. A thief stole a goblet from him and awakened him, and the dragon then went on a revengeful killing spree. “The dragon began to belch out flames/ and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow/ that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger/ would leave nothing alive in his wake.” (l. 2312-2315) The dragon held onto this treasure, which is useless now, so long that he was able to know exactly what was gone and he must have had it back. The dragon represents greed and selfishness. The dragon began to slay people because of his missing goblet. When Beowulf heard about the dragon, he decided to do something about it immediately, as a good king should. During the battle between Beowulf and the dragon, both parties were fatally wounded. The dragon fought to the death to protect “his” treasure that he found, while Beowulf fought to protect “his” people. The dragon’s greed and selfishness had taken over his life and his lifestyle, which became the death of me. It can also be seen that Beowulf had allowed greed to overcome him, and that being the death of him also. He wanted the dragon’s treasure for his people, and his last wish was to see the treasure that he