Since the dawn of time, the forces of evil have always tried to gain an upper hand over the forces of good. The battles between these two forces have transcended time in both different places and in different forms. In every culture, there are always background stories of creation and the battles that are waged between the two forces of light and dark. As a result, stories and legends are passed down from generation to generation. In Beowulf, an epic poem translated by Burton Raffel, there are many themes that are seen throughout the storyline such as loyalty, revenge, reputation, and etc. With this in mind, the main theme in Beowulf is the nature of good vs evil and its effect upon a society. To being with, the theme of good vs evil and
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After Beowulf has injured Grendel, one would think that the evil spirit is now gone, however, another descendant of Cain with evil spirits appeared which was Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother plans to avenge her only son when she sees him with only one arm because Beowulf tore off the other one. For example, Raffel implies, “He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke.”(Line 600). As a result, Grendel’s mother had her revenge as she went to Herot, kidnapped and killed Hrothgar’s closest friend and carried off with the claw that Beowulf also tore from …show more content…
He is welcomed by the king, but soon becomes the king himself when Higlac and his son have died. Beowulf rules Geatland for 50 years, however, an evil force has arised again but this time it’s a dragon. Although Beowulf is now an old king, he determines to slay the beast. To illustrate, Beowulf utters, “ I’ve never known fear, as a youth I’ve fought in endless battles, I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still...”(Line 860). In addition, the reason why he is so willing to battle against the dragon is all because of the people in Geatland. He wants to be a king that protects his people. For instance, he won the battle, however, he is badly wounded and in the last moments of his life, he states, “for all of this, that His Grace has given me, allowed me to bring to my people while breath still came to my lips.”(Line 1056). Such shows Beowulf’s dedication to his people and the effort he put in to have them be safe and protected from evil forces. Therefore, Beowulf can be considered as an epic hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of his people. In conclusion, the main theme that is seen throughout Beowulf is the nature of good vs evil and its effect upon a society. As the audience reads on and on, the poem illustrates the faces that evil takes on and the way in which good conquers evil with the purposes of protecting
After Beowulf has injured Grendel, one would think that the evil spirit is now gone, however, another descendant of Cain with evil spirits appeared which was Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother plans to avenge her only son when she sees him with only one arm because Beowulf tore off the other one. For example, Raffel implies, “He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke.”(Line 600). As a result, Grendel’s mother had her revenge as she went to Herot, kidnapped and killed Hrothgar’s closest friend and carried off with the claw that Beowulf also tore from …show more content…
He is welcomed by the king, but soon becomes the king himself when Higlac and his son have died. Beowulf rules Geatland for 50 years, however, an evil force has arised again but this time it’s a dragon. Although Beowulf is now an old king, he determines to slay the beast. To illustrate, Beowulf utters, “ I’ve never known fear, as a youth I’ve fought in endless battles, I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still...”(Line 860). In addition, the reason why he is so willing to battle against the dragon is all because of the people in Geatland. He wants to be a king that protects his people. For instance, he won the battle, however, he is badly wounded and in the last moments of his life, he states, “for all of this, that His Grace has given me, allowed me to bring to my people while breath still came to my lips.”(Line 1056). Such shows Beowulf’s dedication to his people and the effort he put in to have them be safe and protected from evil forces. Therefore, Beowulf can be considered as an epic hero who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of his people. In conclusion, the main theme that is seen throughout Beowulf is the nature of good vs evil and its effect upon a society. As the audience reads on and on, the poem illustrates the faces that evil takes on and the way in which good conquers evil with the purposes of protecting