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Collin College ENGL 2322 Beowulf and the Battle of Good vs. Evil Term Paper
Collin College ENGL 2322 Beowulf and the Battle of Good vs. Evil Term Paper
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ENGL-2322Beowulf and the Battle of Good vs. Evil
The story of Beowulf is one of the first, and longest epic poems that exists in British
Literature. It is the story of a great warrior and leader who overcomes so many obstacles in his
quest to become a legend in his own time. The story began as an oral tradition that was told long
before it was finally recorded into written form. It is a story that has been told for generations,
and has become one of the most studied stories in classrooms across the globe. There are many
themes that exist in the story of Beowulf that can be studied and discussed, such as Christianity,
loyalty, and the journey of the hero. However, I believe that one of the most important themes in
the story of Beowulf is the battle of good vs. evil, which seems to me to be a recurring theme that
seems to be the most prevalent in todays’ society. The battle of good vs. evil in the story of
Beowulf seems to be one of the most important themes that has the most significance in many of
the movies and media of todays’ society. As stated by Matthew Gurewitsch, “What accounts for
Beowulf’s enduring popularity? Partly; it may simply be that heroics never go out of style. The
young in any culture need heroes as role models, whether from Homer or Marvel Comics. The
child in the man (or woman) needs them too. Past adolescence, of course, we tend to worship our
heroes with tongue in cheek (Think James Bond, Barbarella, Shrek.)” (Gurewitsch, 118)
First off, the story of Beowulf is the journey of a hero as outlined by Joseph Campbell. It
is a story of a character who is larger than life, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and then
returns to defeat evil in three separate occasions throughout his life. It begins with the arrival of
Beowulf, the hero who accepts the challenge to fight Grendel and triumphantly defeats him to
win the admiration of the Geats. Then there is the battle with Grendel’s mother, which once
again he is victorious and gains him more notoriety and fame which eventually leads to him
, being the King. Then finally, there is the battle with the dragon, for which he is once again
victorious, however this time cost Beowulf his life. It is a great story of a man who is larger than
life, an epic story for which there is no comparison in literature at the time. In order to
understand this, and the battle of good vs. evil in Beowulf, we need to look at some of the details
in the story.
“The poem does not begin with the adventures of either Beowulf or Hrothgar, but at a
much earlier point in history, namely with the description of the funeral of king Scyld Scefing,
the mythical founding father of Danish royal dynasty and the supposed great-grandfather of king
Hrothgar.” (Kardaun, 3) It shows from the beginning of the poem that the celebration of the hero
is one of the most important aspects of life in those times, in which there is much attention given
to a man that has accomplished so much. So much that a great hall has been erected in his honor,
and men can congregate and drink to celebrate his life and accomplishments. When the warriors
begin to celebrate too loudly, and disturbs Grendel, he begins to attack the hall late at night after
the warriors have passed out from drinking too much mead. After Beowulf learns of the
atrocities at the mead hall, he embarks on a journey to help the Geats destroy the monster and
gain notoriety as a great warrior. Of course, in this aspect of the story it refers to Grendel being
the evil, and Beowulf as the warrior for good who has defeated evil. Even in the other two main
battles of the story with Grendel’s mother and the dragon, it is a battle of good vs. evil that is the
recurring theme in the story of Beowulf. It is a theme that has endured through the ages and has
made its way into todays’ mainstream media, and has stood the test of time.
In the second battle, Beowulf then is confronted with Grendel’s mother, who is looking to
exact revenge on Beowulf for killing her son. The battle begins in the mead hall, and then after
injuring Grendel’s mother, chases her back to her lair to finish her off for good. After Beowulf
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