In the epic poem Beowulf, the author presents an action-packed twist on the classic good versus evil trope. Beowulf, the noble leader of the Geats tribe, was known for his power and honorability. In the poem, Beowulf battles three forces that others would cower away from and entered each fight with an inspirational sense of bravery. In the following essay, the differences between the battles with Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon, will be analyzed and discussed, as well as Beowulf’s development as a hero. To begin with, the battle with Grendel took place in the Danish king Hrothgar’s mead-hall—Heorot. In the epic, Grendel is a vicious beast that has been banished by God because of the sins of his ascendants, such as Cain. This isolation and dismal lifestyle lead Grendel to erupt in a fit of wrath and envy, subsequently venturing into Heorot and taking out his emotions on the occupants inside. After hearing news about the slaughters at Heorot, a Geat by the name of Beowulf decided it was his duty to come forth and help the Danes. For this, king Hrothgar was thankful; he threw Beowulf and the other Geatish warriors a feast, and that night, Beowulf would meet with the demonic entity known as Grendel. In this battle, Beowulf could be considered brave and strategic when it came to combat. He somehow sensed that the demon was immune to weapons, causing him to make the decision to not use any against Grendel in the first place; when the battle commenced once night fell, Beowulf caught a rampaging Grendel with a powerful grip that the beast knew not possible. Beowulf used such force in his hold that he ripped the beast’s arms free out of its socket, and sent Grendel running back to his shelter with fatal wounds. Beowulf kept Grendel’s arm as a trophy and as proof as his win. When morning came, the Danes were relieved and mesmerized by Beowulf’s accomplishments, and another celebration ensued. By comparison, the next battle that Beowulf faced was perilous and fueled by revenge. After the death of her son, Grendel’s mother turned to violence instead of mourning her loss. Beowulf had been sleeping in a separate room other than his warriors and the Danes. Possibly more rage-filled and destructive than her son, Grendel’s mother broke into Heorot and killed and snatched Hrothgar’s advisor, Aeschere. Upon being informed of the situation, Beowulf advised a saddened Hrothgar by stating, “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death” (Beowulf 1384-1389). Still devastated, Hrothgar implored Beowulf to travel to the den of Grendel’s mother—a bloodshot and swampy lair that instills fear in anything that dares get close enough—and rid Heorot of
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For starters, his first two battles were against pure evil. Grendel slaughtered innocent people just because he was unable to join in on their joy. Grendel’s mother, on another note, killed because she was stricken with grief and revenge. Their bloodline was dirtied with sin and murder, driving them to kill innocent bystanders. Unlike Beowulf’s third battle, he was unable to use mortal weapons to defeat Grendel and its mother. The dragon, on the other hand, was the lesser of three evils. He only sought to kill when the mound he was guarding was disturbed by a thief. Other than that, he had no true intentions of killing. On the contrary, there are a number of similarities as well. Beowulf went into each of his battles with bravery and determination. He never backed down from a fight, even if he knew he would die. In conclusion, the trio of battles that Beowulf had to face were all similar and different in their own respects. Beowulf had to go against evil three times and was only able to prevail twice. He was a character that grew wise with age and fought without fear. Beowulf selflessly helped those in need and put his life on the line to do so. He was a true hero that possessed such traits that propelled him further into glory. However, as the story portrays, even the wisest and the most reputable of heroes prospers in the
For starters, his first two battles were against pure evil. Grendel slaughtered innocent people just because he was unable to join in on their joy. Grendel’s mother, on another note, killed because she was stricken with grief and revenge. Their bloodline was dirtied with sin and murder, driving them to kill innocent bystanders. Unlike Beowulf’s third battle, he was unable to use mortal weapons to defeat Grendel and its mother. The dragon, on the other hand, was the lesser of three evils. He only sought to kill when the mound he was guarding was disturbed by a thief. Other than that, he had no true intentions of killing. On the contrary, there are a number of similarities as well. Beowulf went into each of his battles with bravery and determination. He never backed down from a fight, even if he knew he would die. In conclusion, the trio of battles that Beowulf had to face were all similar and different in their own respects. Beowulf had to go against evil three times and was only able to prevail twice. He was a character that grew wise with age and fought without fear. Beowulf selflessly helped those in need and put his life on the line to do so. He was a true hero that possessed such traits that propelled him further into glory. However, as the story portrays, even the wisest and the most reputable of heroes prospers in the