Literary perspectives regarding the concept of monstrousness and humanness can be found with a great deal of frequency within a multitude of varying genres. Heroes enduring grand battles and ultimately defeating the quintessential villain is not a new concept and dates back thousands of years, as illustrated with old English texts such as Beowulf. However, the concept of what entails an individual to be categorized as a monster and what entails an individual to be categorized as a human is not clear cut in when interpreted through the lens of a literary perspective. In regards to Beowulf , the main protagonist, Beowulf, and the main antagonist, Grendel, tend to be mistaken as complete foils of each other. Although Beowulf and Grendel do indeed
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Beowulf has the potential to become similar to Grendel if there is a rejection of the values that permit Beowulf to belong to the social society; If he allows himself to act upon his bestial characteristics in such a way as Grendel …show more content…
To be looked upon fondly in the eyes of God is to be a hero, but to be looked down upon by God is to be a monster. Within Beowulf, there is a substantial divide in how god is referenced towards characters that are considered to be inhuman in nature such as Grendel and Grendel’s mother (Grendel 's is referred to as unholy [l.120] ), and how god is referenced in regards to humans, especially superhumans such as Beowulf. These references towards God are telling of the ingrained opinions held by the Anglo-Saxon society represented within the Beowulf about the individuals thought to be descended from Cain. It can be inferred that the way God is believed to perceive the descendants of Cain is correlated to the way the social society perceives them [l.110-114] . Beowulf in the eyes of society is seen as being blessed by God [l.1840-1845], the treatment he receives from that society heavily reflects this idea as he becomes quickly integrated into their community [l.489-490]. In opposition, the descendants of Cain live in isolation from the rest of society [l.104-106]. There is a particular amount of disgust exhibited towards
Beowulf has the potential to become similar to Grendel if there is a rejection of the values that permit Beowulf to belong to the social society; If he allows himself to act upon his bestial characteristics in such a way as Grendel …show more content…
To be looked upon fondly in the eyes of God is to be a hero, but to be looked down upon by God is to be a monster. Within Beowulf, there is a substantial divide in how god is referenced towards characters that are considered to be inhuman in nature such as Grendel and Grendel’s mother (Grendel 's is referred to as unholy [l.120] ), and how god is referenced in regards to humans, especially superhumans such as Beowulf. These references towards God are telling of the ingrained opinions held by the Anglo-Saxon society represented within the Beowulf about the individuals thought to be descended from Cain. It can be inferred that the way God is believed to perceive the descendants of Cain is correlated to the way the social society perceives them [l.110-114] . Beowulf in the eyes of society is seen as being blessed by God [l.1840-1845], the treatment he receives from that society heavily reflects this idea as he becomes quickly integrated into their community [l.489-490]. In opposition, the descendants of Cain live in isolation from the rest of society [l.104-106]. There is a particular amount of disgust exhibited towards