In Beowulf's first battle, we see the true Christian spirit. While it is true that Beowulf is upholding the image of the hero, he is doing it for a very noble cause in this fight. Grendel, who Beowulf fights in this battle, is said to be from the race of Cain and so is in a feud with God. The monster would hate anyone that God smiles on.

The fact that Grendel moves only at night also makes us see the evil side of him. He hates the light from the hall. He seems to be jealous of the love and warmth that it signifies. He attacks without any real provocation.

When Hrothgar finds out that Beowulf has come to help him in his fight against Grendel, he says "Holy God of His Grace has sent him to us West-Danes, as I hope, against the terror of Grendel." This sets the idea of good against evil. Beowulf will represent God and Grendel represents the devil. Beowulf strengthens this view with his decision to fight Grendel with out any weapons. He is willing to let the Lord decide who will win this battle - "The one whom death ta

It is interesting to note that the human weapon he takes with him into battle is of no use. He ends up killing Grendel's mother with a supernatural sword made by giants. It is almost a sign that weapons of the physical world are worthless in these fights.

Beowulf is showing a lot of faith in this action. While his strength is often talked about, so is Grendel's. We are told of Grendel's war-strength. Beowulf would have known these stories and still choose to trust in God's spiritual help instead of man's physical help.

It is very interesting to note the differences and similarities in these three fights. All of Beowulf's conflicts are with creatures of the night. But Grendel is the only one that appears to be a true enemy of God. In the battle with Grendel, Beowulf does seem to be a servant of God. He is stopping a true evil, a descendant of the race of Cain. He knows he can trust in the power of God to help him in this battle.

Also interesting to note is the addition of treasure to each battle. In fighting Grendel, Beowulf expects nothing but the fame due a hero. In the battle with Grendel's mother, there is much said about the treasure he can receive. While he does not appear to be influenced by this treasure, he does take much of it back to his King. In fighting the dragon, there is the obvious prize of winning the treasure. While Beowulf says he wants the treasure for his people, it ends up mainly being buried with him.

The three battles of Beowulf seem to have a defini

Some common words found in the essay are:
Grendel Beowulf, Grendel's Beowulf, God Grendel, God God's, God Beowulf's, God Grace, grendel's mother, , Hrothgar Beowulf, grendel beowulf, fight grendel, battle grendel's mother, race cain, noble cause, kill dragon, beowulf decides, battle grendel's, battle grendel, help battle,
Approximate Word count = 1018
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)