Violence And Vengeance In Beowulf

Imagine if you awaken to find out that the night before, a family member was murdered? How would you feel? Some would feel mournful and grief-stricken while others urge for justice or vengeance. Presume that the convicted murderer is thrown in prison to rot. Knowing that, you would feel relieved knowing justice was being served. In another scenario, he’s never caught. You continue your days knowing the very man who wronged your family walks the streets. He committed a crime against society and walked away unpunished. How would that change your emotions? Would your feelings of depression and sorrow morph into anger and rage as you itch for retribution? The system failed you and your family, as it has many others. Here is where the long debate of whether violence and vengeance, in some cases, is justified. At both extremes of the spectrum, some argue it always is while others call for the opposite. The truth is, however, people’s opinions depend on their experiences. One may stress that it is never justified, until they’re in a circumstance where that is all they can think about. While violence and vengeance is never truly justified, there are times at where society deems it …show more content…
One widely known example is seen in the epic of Beowulf. This long poem tells the tale of monsters laying waste to the great mead hall, Herot. In King Hrothgar’s kingdom, with the help of the hero Beowulf, they viciously slay Grendel the demon. Little do they know, Grendel’s mother, after finding her her beloved son is dying, attempts to exact revenge on the savage humans. Though failing and ultimately being slaughtered by Beowulf, this poem shows one of the many sides of vengefulness. Despite the reprisal being exacted by the ferocious demons, the tale of Beowulf can be seen as the story of desperate actions taken by a mother to avenge the death of her