I have touched on the pagan and Christian influences and heroic values of Beowulf. I also discussed the debate whether or not the long poem could be considered a Christian or pagan epic, and the elegiac themes found in both this poem and The Wanderer. The struggle between good against evil, and the characterizations of Grendel (pride), Grendel’s Mother (revenge), and the dragon (greed) are still battles that are prevalent in today’s society.
From start to finish, Beowulf demands our acknowledgment that sorting out the monster from the hero and the coward is a lifetime’s struggle in the dark. Beowulf joins us to our ancestors — whoever they might have been, in whatever far country — at the top of their game, as we would like to imagine them, and as we dearly hope those who come after will someday envision us. (Yeager)
The title character could be viewed as an archetypal savior who was willing to give his life to save the people of his kingdom. This epic long poem has lasted throughout the ages and is still being read and discussed, which I feel will continue to aid in its