Theme Of Religion In Beowulf

One of the oldest surviving poems in Old English, Beowulf is considered to be a brilliant piece of Anglo-Saxon literature that truly embodies the journeys of an epic hero. The protagonist, Beowulf, went through three distinct challenges as an epic hero, with each one being more difficult than the one before. Throughout his journey, themes of religion and identity along with good versus evil are revealed in order to show the ultimate morality and strength of will power in a man. The topic of religion throughout Beowulf is significant in understanding the importance of religion at the time. Ideas of both Christianity and Paganism are shown in the epic poem and their roles in the story can be identified by using historical context. For example, certain Christian philosophies are revealed once Beowulf fights Grendel, who is a descendant of Cain. In the Anglo-Saxon period of Beowulf, all evil was believed to exist because of Cain, whose story is in the Old Testament of the Bible. By stating Grendel’s relationship to Cain, it metaphorically associates him with …show more content…
Beowulf embodies all that is good with his superior heroic qualities; he exuberates generosity along with a strong sense of confidence while fighting against his antagonists. Although Beowulf faces many challenges throughout the story, none of these conflicts are associated with humans, showing how he stands with humanity and wants to provide people with a sense of security through his fighting. On the other hand, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon represent the evil in the epic poem. Beowulf’s victories over Grendel and his mother show the extent to which the power of goodness can defeat evil. Even though Beowulf was killed by the dragon at the end, his heroic death fulfills his actions and role as a leader. Beowulf’s triumph of glory ultimately exposes the theme of good and evil since his battles against his enemies were fought to save his