What is a monster? A “monster is something or someone who harms others for their own excitement or pleasure”(Dictionary.com). In the story Beowulf many people believe that Grendel and his mother are the monsters but others believe that Beowulf is the monster,but who really is the monster? Beowulf,he is the real monster because he has a big ego,greed, and because he wants to steal from the dragon. Stealing,greed and a big ego are things that a hero should not have, and that is exactly why Beowulf is the monster and not a hero. Beowulf is considered a monster because of his huge ego. His big ego first shows up when he hears about Grendel attacking the danes. When he hears about this he gathers up some of his men and then sail off to help the danes. When he arrives, he talks to Hrothgar,the king of the Danes,about his good deeds and shows off by saying “I have heard,too,that the monster’s scorn of men is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none.Nor will I”(Raffel 141-144).That shows that he is not at all afraid of Grendel and that he will fight him with his bare hands. He also shows off when Unferth,a thane of Hrothgar,starts doubting Beowulf that he will not be able to kill Grendel,Beowulf then trying to show off his mighty self, says that when he was a kid “he encountered sea monsters while swimming …show more content…
His greed shows up on the night he is suppose to see Grendel at the hall. He and his men are in the hall waiting for Grendel to show up. All his men fall asleep waiting for the arrival for the beast, but he does not,instead he pretends to be sleeping and then that is when Grendel shows up in the hall. Grendel then gets one of Beowulf’s men and rips him apart and drinks his blood. Beowulf pretending to be asleep sees all of this and does nothing to help one his own men. That shows that he did not care if his men got hurt or killed he just cared to kill the beast no matter what it
mysterious tale of Beowulf has long been one of the greatest epics in Anglo-Saxon Culture, thus the subject of this document inquiry is to study not only the heroic qualities of Beowulf but also his monster like qualities in order for the reader to determine him a hero or a monster. In the words of Hyram Perbole, “The true monster in the poem Beowulf is Beowulf himself (5).” While Perbole’s statement alerts those who read the poem to the possibility of the main protagonist being an actual monster or a person
“Monsters always make more trouble before they die.” To stop these monsters from causing trouble, brave heroes like Beowulf must use strength and courage to defeat them. These grotesque monsters can only be taken down when you use skill and power to overcome them. But what do you do when you encounter monsters that you have created within yourself? Beowulf must find the answer to this question in the 2007 film version of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. The monsters in the film seem to pose a greater
The monsters in the story of Beowulf are Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. They are all big vicious beasts that terrorizes the land. Grendel is an extremely angry monster that is just sadistic. He enjoys killing and feasting on the bodies of the people of Herot. He is in no way seeking end in war he created with humanity and feels as if he can murder and devour on humans forever. He quickly grew an enormous amount of confidence as he won battles of one against many, deserting the land of
In the poem of Beowulf, the residents of Heorot were often tormented by evil creatures that lived a life of hate and selfishness.They had no values, beliefs, or even acceptable reasoning for wanting to create violence in the pagan society. In the present day, there are certain people that signify and represent the monsters in the poem.I believe Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, and Martin Shkreli represent the monsters in today’s society. They have been recognized as people who have spread hatred and created
Of the three monsters present in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, it could be argued that the dragon is the most important of all – he is the final fierce opponent that slays our protagonist. The characterization of the dragon is therefore a vital part of the narrative. The passage in the text describing the theft of a cup from the hoard and the dragon’s subsequent rage (32.2278-2311) is instrumental in this characterization. In this passage there are important parallels made between the dragon and
Beowulf, the slayer of monsters, is a main character of an epic poem that is one of the earliest pieces of literature. The poem has no author, but was told by word of mouth until it was written down in old English. The epic poem tells a story of warrior that goes out of his way to save Herot from a monster that’s been bothering the hall for twelve years. His pride and honor can only take him so far in fighting his opponents. Beowulf slays two monsters such as Grendel, Grendel’s angry mother, and
The monsters in Beowulf are very unique. Two out of the three of them are almost human. One was a dragon. However regardless of what they were they fell by one man. Beowulf. Let’s analyze their characteristics, weapons, and various other techniques at their disposal. The first on my list of creatures is Grendel. Grendel is the giant demonic monster that terrorizes the Danes. His stature allows him to single handedly murder thirty men and take them back to his lair. His weapons include his claws
Monsters are something one fears, but humans are connected to them in some way. Monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Does one determine is someone is a monster by their actions or what factor that makes them do monstrous things? This is something that can be very debated. Throughout the story of Beowulf one is introduced to many different kinds of monsters. From dragons to humans. One of the main monsters that starts this whole story of Beowulf is a monster named Grendel. Grendel’s protralys show
In the epic of Beowulf, Beowulf is needed by king Hrothgar to fight three different monsters that terrorize Herot. In the epic Beowulf fights of the three demon monsters Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and a fire breathing dragon. Beowulf has to result in defeating the monsters with different tools, tactics and strategies as they are different from one another. Beowulf organizes a group of the finest soldiers in all the realm to fight these different demon spawns, as he defeats the monsters he takes a trophy
of the Word Monster During 750 CE the word “monster” had a very small definition spectrum, Anglo-Saxons, like most people used it in their storytelling to describe a phenomenon that lacked explanation. In the 21st century, the spectrum for the word “monster” has gotten very large. Unlike the Anglo-Saxons we humanize monsters, and we try to gain insight into why they did what they did. Although the word monster has a more broad description in modern day 2016, the basis for what a monster is and what
The Role of the Monsters in Beowulf In almost every movie, story, legend there is a monster, but what do they really stand for? Are they just made by the author to terrorize the city/village, or do they stand for something more? The monsters in Beowulf stand for characteristics of human life; Grendel stands for jealousy that gets out of hand, Grendel’s mother stands for motherly revenge, and the dragon stands for greed. They could also possibly stand for the evil-twin of the hero scenario. What
Monsters have been apart of human culture since the beginning of human existence. They appeared in everything from folk tales to religious readings. Stories of monsters were most prevalent during the middle ages and during the Anglo Saxon period. The oldest long poem written and spoken in Old English is the story of Beowulf, a story from the Anglo Saxon period and a story full of monsters. Beowulf isn’t just an old poem, it’s also a great historical example of the values that the Saxons imposed on
first few pages of Beowulf, I wanted to live in that world, just so that I could see how the medieval times really worked. However, after I began to read about the vicious monsters within the pages, I changed my mind. I didn’t want to be around such terrifying creatures! Then we began to talk in class about how these monsters represented other issues surrounding the time period; they weren’t just beasts thrown in to spice up the story. This got me to thinking of how the monsters are truly portrayed
What is the definition of a “monster”? Is it a person or thing? Is it associated with good or evil? These may be some of the questions that come to mind when see or hear the term “monster”. For me, a “monster” is a powerful person or thing that causes terror and cannot be controlled. The word “monster” has connotations of fear and oppression. In the epic, Beowulf, I recognized Grendel was the epitome of a “monster”. Grendel’s actions illustrated his fervor for blood and hate towards man. For instance
People in ancient time believe monsters stand as the symbol of darkness and evil for no reason. For example, in the ancient Anglo-Saxon story, Beowulf, monster live in a dark cave beneath the body of the water. Nevertheless, monsters cannot be that easy to recognize anymore nowadays. Obviously, monsters do not exist anymore in modern life, but still, they become evil minds hiding everywhere unexpectedly: sometimes they may be hiding underneath a nice smile; sometimes they may be hiding under pretty