Surely an epic poem that has lasted for over 1,000 years has to mean something. A poem over 3,000 lines long, which was told orally until someone wrote it down, has to mean that it’s something special. Beowulf is a tale of a mighty hero protecting a neighboring nation from monsters spawned from hell. It’s a good story. When all else has failed, who comes to save the day? Beowulf. However the longevity of this poem does not simply just come from the fact that it’s a well written and classic representation of a hero’s story. It’s the fact that it’s an allegory that’s still relevant to our reality today. This lengthy account of this story has a deeper meaning. Each character symbolizes either the forces necessary to maintain civilization or the forces that tear civilization apart. In the allegory Grendel, one of the monsters, is a symbol of a force that tear apart at society. He symbolizes individualism gone wild, or selfishness.
Grendel is a symbol of individualism gone wild to the point where he basically represents the saying “It’s my way or the highway” to the extreme. When he is …show more content…
The New York Times reports that “Today, North Koreans starve to death by the dozens, maybe the hundreds… the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is said to have squandered in 2012 on “luxury goods,” including cosmetics, handbags, leather products, watches, electronics, cars and top-shelf alcohol. In that same year, Mr. Kim also spent $1.3 billion on his ballistic missile programs.” (Source 2) Kim Jong-un, due to his extreme self-individualism, completely ignores the men, women, and children starving in his country and splurges on luxury materials for himself. He doesn 't prioritize society and spends 1.3 billion dollars on a military program. His extreme self individualism is a force that tears society apart because he places his wants over society and forces everyone else to suffer for it. Ultimately the choice is only his
Grendel is a symbol of individualism gone wild to the point where he basically represents the saying “It’s my way or the highway” to the extreme. When he is …show more content…
The New York Times reports that “Today, North Koreans starve to death by the dozens, maybe the hundreds… the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is said to have squandered in 2012 on “luxury goods,” including cosmetics, handbags, leather products, watches, electronics, cars and top-shelf alcohol. In that same year, Mr. Kim also spent $1.3 billion on his ballistic missile programs.” (Source 2) Kim Jong-un, due to his extreme self-individualism, completely ignores the men, women, and children starving in his country and splurges on luxury materials for himself. He doesn 't prioritize society and spends 1.3 billion dollars on a military program. His extreme self individualism is a force that tears society apart because he places his wants over society and forces everyone else to suffer for it. Ultimately the choice is only his