Evil In Beowulf

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The epic poem “Beowulf” develops the central idea of the continuous battle between good and evil. In the story the main character, Beowulf, represents morality and righteous values; while Grendel, a main antagonist, is presented as its evil contender. But it the narrative, Grendel is only presented as two-dimensional character, all the knowledge the speaker obtains of this character is by the opinions and objectifications of others. Grendel’s true feelings and thoughts are not expressed directly. The only substantiated knowledge the reader knows about the antagonist is its linage, being a descendant of Cain and considered as a force of evil for his massacres and cruel slaughtering. All the gloomy and terrifying depictions of Grendel embody …show more content…
Closely resembling the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast”, a character who in the outside is presented as an atrocious figure, but possess a humane soul filled with sentiments. Perhaps Grendel isn’t a character who was happy from the beginning, but his constant struggle to deal with his chastisement deeply affect his inner persona, resulting in furious acts against the people he considers accountable for his punishment. Conceivably he isn’t angry at the Danes, he only wants to hurt anyone who idolizes God, the deity that punished him for no reason. On lines 164-169 “So Grendel waged his lonely war, inflicting constant cruelties on the people, atrocious hurt. He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark, but the throne itself, the treasure-seat, he was kept from approaching; he was the Lords outcast”. The scene`s depiction is biased, it only presents the set of events from one perspective. Grendel’s motives are based on unfound rage, the speaker details its actions but not his reason. He is a character that could be interpreted as a figure used to justify the theme of good vs evil, but his actions and presence leave open various elucidations that result in presenting a character that has potential to be complex and interesting at the same time, probably being more thought-provoking than
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