The Greatest Evil is Planted Within Oneself
Evil is self-made, it is a state of mind individuals create for themselves during a time of distress. Humanity has battled evil since the beginning of time, yet evil has no set definition. British Literature has expressed evil for the duration of its history and as always the antagonist in the story is not clear; it is open to interpretation. The Dragon from Grendel, Grendel himself, and Macbeth are, implied by readers, to be the root of evil but it is a matter of perception. Elaine Pagel’s theory on Christianity states that putting a face to evil reflects Satan as whoever/whatever an individual see’s as the antagonist. Thomas Hobbes’s theory on evil states that sympathy makes it easy for an individual to decipher what is and is not evil as a matter of perception. Fred Alford’s theory states that evil plagues all of those around it and just like goodness, evil is contagious.
The basic belief that evil is derived from Satan was implemented in Christianity as a way of uniting individuals to defeat a desired “evil”. “Christians have ... identified their opponents, whether Jews, pagans, or heretics, with forces of evil, and so with Satan... Nor have things improved since.” (First Things). Elaine Pagel’s theories on evil surround the principal that Satan does not exist; he is merely a symbol, a representation of evil. “Christians adopted the Celtic god of fertility and used…show more content… 'Thomas Hobbes Quotes At Brainyquote.Com'. N.p., 2015. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.
First Things,. 'Getting Satan Behind Us'. N.p., 1995. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.
Gardner, John, and Emil Antonucci. Grendel. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Toronto: Random House of Canada Limited, 1971. Print.
Herrera. Halloween History. Class Lecture, October 2015. Herrera.
Shakespeare, William, and Sylvan Barnet. Four Great Tragedies. New York: New American Library. Print.
Various. “On Theories of Evil.” AP English IV. El Paso, Texas. 20 November 2015.
