Beowulf Figurative Language Analysis

Beowulf A New Telling by Robert Nye is a detailed book full of adventure and the relationship between good and evil, and, with that, darkness and light. The main character, Beowulf, is strong because he admits to, and controls the evil in himself. Beowulf allows his weaknesses to become strengths, and so can find good in everything, even sometimes his enemies which seem to be made of pure evil. This shows that his character is very willing to accept differences in others, and is very compassionate.
There are some conflicting characters in this story that help develop the theme. For example, Grendel is “... chief of all horrors in the fen… it made a noise like the crunching of bones or the sudden fracture of ice underfoot.” (p. 8) Beowulf is, very contrary to his enemy Grendel, representing of good. Beowulf even killed Grendel with the light inside of him. To Grendel,
...it was as if the sun itself had caught him in its clutch. Made of wickedness as he was, the good in this man burned him. The mortal fingers were like ten red-hot nails driven into his skin. Grendel had never known strength like this. He roared and shook to be …show more content…
Some of these examples of figurative language include how Grendel sounded like the sound of the fracture of ice and the of bones cracking. He also includes elements of good and evil, light and dark. Queen Wealtheow and Beowulf definitely represent light, while Grendel represents darkness. Grendel has torches go out as he passes them, and seems to bring the dark with him wherever he goes. He shied away from the light of Queen Wealtheow and Beowulf. He also includes references to Christianity that help relate things to real life. He represents this similarity with the gold cup Wealtheow gave Beowulf to drink from to communion, and also the twelve jewels given to Beowulf by Hrothgar, to the twelve apostles. Queen Wealtheow, with her goodness and light, could be representing the Virgin