Beowulf's Mother Analysis

Throughout Beowulf, there were many thought-provoking moments, but the most intriguing was the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. This battle drew my interest because it is the first moment that the reader gets to see Beowulf struggle, he matures in many ways, and he does not really mention this battle much more after it is over, which is surprising knowing Beowulf’s usual boasting character. Overall, this battle is one that can be used to reveal many aspects of Beowulf that may otherwise have been hidden. First, the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother is the first time that Beowulf seems to sense fear in any form. Up until this point, the battles have been described much in his favor, and not really noting any fear on …show more content…
In addition, I found it important to note how Beowulf seems to “push off” this battle much more than his others, which he was always very boastful about. This lead me to the question of why he would not be prouder of winning this battle, since it was presumably the hardest battle he had fought to date. I came up with many conclusions, one being pure chauvinism. It becomes very apparent while reading further that Beowulf almost seems “embarrassed” of this battle, and much of it seems to stem from the fact that Grendel’s mother, although from demonic descent, is portrayed as some sort of “female,” which Beowulf could not possibly believe is on the same level as him- “a mighty and vicious fighter.” Beowulf’s mind, having to face his fellow sexist peers and tell a tale of being nearly defeated by a womanly creature would surely kill his bloated ego. Furthermore, the thought of a womanly creature even coming close to beating him in battle was enough for him to question his own pride. Instead of changing his thought processes, he decided to, in a way, pretend that the battle did not even happen and just …show more content…
Although he knows that he is playing games with the devil, he desires the fight. It is essentially what he yearns for, and is coming across as an addiction to the adrenaline of seeking out these evil creatures, which is very important to see about his character because it allows us to understand his motives in these battles more clearly. Altogether, many would not have done what Beowulf did by taking on these creatures that have otherwise been known as unbeatable, but there is something within him that makes him want to achieve the unachievable, and shows aspects of his personality in that he is an overachiever and driven by the fame from the fight. It is almost as if he gives himself no other option but winning, and anything less than that is unacceptable. His pride, ego, and obsession with beating the “monster,” and more help to see parts of Beowulf that had not been highlighted before the battle with Grendel’s