The Yin and Yang of stories: Good vs. Evil behavior
In order for there to be an equal balance in life, there must be an equal balance between what is considered right and wrong first. Propriety and iniquity go hand in hand, in other words, no one would know what is considered benevolent if there was not any evil to counteract it. Anonymous poet’s Beowulf, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and John Gardner’s Grendel are strong paradigms in proving this case. Specifically, when Dr. Frankenstein creature got furious after he abandoned him, he was truly considered a beast to everyone. In the same way, with his willingness to sacrifice his own life at everyone else’s expense, Beowulf definitely has earned the right to be called a hero because of his …show more content…
The mad scientist behind this fiend breaks the natural life cycle when he manages to discover the secret to creating life and succeeds in creating an actual human being. However, upon realizing that he has actually created a malevolent creation, Victor flees and abandons it, saying “I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being I had created; I had been struck senseless by his fiendish threats: but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me” (Shelley 180). This angers the iniquitous creation and causes him to eventually kill everyone his creator knows and loves. The fiend then promises to attend Victor’s wedding with him, but in reality he is going to kill off his bride, Elizabeth. When Victor grasps what his monsters real plan is, he thinks that then was “the period fixed for the fulfillment of my destiny. In that hour I should die, and at once satisfy and extinguish his malice” (Shelley …show more content…
Although Beowulf is considered a hero, this does not mean he is perfect. The poet of Beowulf explains that even within his last words, the hero acts greedy and asks for the silver, jewels, armor, and gems in the castle. His last words are a reflection of what his true values are in his life. Beowulf tells Wiglaf: “Beloved Wiglaf, go, find the Dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life, But its gold is ours, too” (Beowulf 755-757). All Beowulf truly cared about until his very last breathes were the material items. And while Frankenstein is portrayed as evil, this does not mean he is evil in his entirety. No creature is born evil; it is the way he is treated throughout the novel that justifies his behavior. Even Frankenstein’s monster himself feels the anger intensify within him when he thinks, “I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him” (Shelley 141). The people that this beast encounters have fearful reactions because of his monstrous appearance. These reactions are exactly the reasons why he builds self-hatred and need for revenge towards his
In order for there to be an equal balance in life, there must be an equal balance between what is considered right and wrong first. Propriety and iniquity go hand in hand, in other words, no one would know what is considered benevolent if there was not any evil to counteract it. Anonymous poet’s Beowulf, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and John Gardner’s Grendel are strong paradigms in proving this case. Specifically, when Dr. Frankenstein creature got furious after he abandoned him, he was truly considered a beast to everyone. In the same way, with his willingness to sacrifice his own life at everyone else’s expense, Beowulf definitely has earned the right to be called a hero because of his …show more content…
The mad scientist behind this fiend breaks the natural life cycle when he manages to discover the secret to creating life and succeeds in creating an actual human being. However, upon realizing that he has actually created a malevolent creation, Victor flees and abandons it, saying “I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being I had created; I had been struck senseless by his fiendish threats: but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me” (Shelley 180). This angers the iniquitous creation and causes him to eventually kill everyone his creator knows and loves. The fiend then promises to attend Victor’s wedding with him, but in reality he is going to kill off his bride, Elizabeth. When Victor grasps what his monsters real plan is, he thinks that then was “the period fixed for the fulfillment of my destiny. In that hour I should die, and at once satisfy and extinguish his malice” (Shelley …show more content…
Although Beowulf is considered a hero, this does not mean he is perfect. The poet of Beowulf explains that even within his last words, the hero acts greedy and asks for the silver, jewels, armor, and gems in the castle. His last words are a reflection of what his true values are in his life. Beowulf tells Wiglaf: “Beloved Wiglaf, go, find the Dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life, But its gold is ours, too” (Beowulf 755-757). All Beowulf truly cared about until his very last breathes were the material items. And while Frankenstein is portrayed as evil, this does not mean he is evil in his entirety. No creature is born evil; it is the way he is treated throughout the novel that justifies his behavior. Even Frankenstein’s monster himself feels the anger intensify within him when he thinks, “I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him” (Shelley 141). The people that this beast encounters have fearful reactions because of his monstrous appearance. These reactions are exactly the reasons why he builds self-hatred and need for revenge towards his