Beowulf Themes

A detailed Summary of Beowulf Themes


Beowulf's story is somewhat of an allegory in which he is depicted as the Christ figure. The theme of Beowulf is a contrast of good and evil which is manifest in both Christian and pagan elements; Beowulf represents good, while Grendel, his mother, and the dragon represent evil. The first monster our hero, Beowulf, faces is Grendel. Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain. "Unhappy creature (Grendel), he lived for a time in the home of the monsters' race, after God had condemned them as kin of Cain" (Norton, 28). Cain is the son of Eve, the woman who bore sin into the world. A connection, however vague, can be made between the maternal relations of Eve and Cain and Grendel and his mother. Grendel's mother can be considered to perso


nify man's fall from grace and Grendel himself might embody sin. Furthermore, the dragon Beowulf battles can be said to be a picture of Satan: "the smooth hateful dragon who flies at night wrapped in flame" (56).

It is important to note that, while there are many references to Cain, the devil, and God (Christian elements) there are also several mentions of fate and destiny, pagan elements. Beowulf believes in predestination and feels that destiny is mortally unchangeable, saying, "Fate always goes as it must" (33). This idea propels him into many battles even though the competition seems overwhelming. Yet, in apparent disregard for fate and destiny, Beowulf prays to God for help and thanks God for victory and protection.

In his battle w

Some common words found in the essay are:
Beowulf Christian, God Christian, Cain Grendel, Holy Lord, , Beowulf Christ, Cain Norton, God Norton, Cain Unhappy, Satan Beowulf, grendel's mother, sword spirit word, elements beowulf, dragon represent, pagan elements, norton 28, grendel mother, sword spirit, fate destiny, spirit word god, pagan elements beowulf, word god, dragon beowulf,

Approximate Word count = 502
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • themes of beowulf ... In conclusion through all the themes Beowulfamp39s anonymous poet somehow gives an excellent account of the time and still manages to make it interesting. ... 794 words
  • Themes in Beowulf ... In Beowulf there are many themes that help the reader relate to the characters. The themes of loyalty, envy, revenge, and reputation ... 1170 words
  • Themes In Beowulf ... Beowulf has many other such archetypal, symbolic themes and motifs, but the most important in my opinion themes that serve to add depth to the characters are ... 1126 words
  • Themes in Beowulf ... Beowulf has many other such archetypal, symbolic themes and motifs, but the most important in my opinion themes that serve to add depth to the characters are ... 1129 words
  • Themes and Symbolism Beowulf ... Although there are many more examples of symbolism, and, many more themes in ampquotBeowulf,ampquot I believe the ones I used above represent what the author of the poem ... 651 words

Professional Essays

  • Beowulf ampamp Sermon on the Mount ... kingdom 172. The epic Beowulf contains many pagan elements within its themes of heroism, valor, and courage. Beowulf, similar ... 790 words
  • Chaucher ampamp Beowulf ... Of course, both Beowulf and Chaucers tales also share the similar characteristic of having religious themes as part of the overall package. ... 1017 words
  • Herman Melvilleamp39s Moby Dick ... White Whale provides a vehicle for the author to explore the larger themes such as ... The English poem Beowulf and the Greek poems Iliad and Odyssey are classic ... 2433 words
  • Chretien de Troyes ampamp Western Literature ... logically, then, expect it to combine ampquotmale orientedampquot and ampquotfemale orientedampquot themes and plot ... the literature of the Dark Ages c. AD 500 1000 in Beowulf, or in ... 4886 words
  • The Dream of the Rood ... To put it another way, treatment of Christological themes would have been commonplace ... Cherniss notes the linguistic echoes of Beowulf found in The Dream of the ... 2705 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.