The Monsters In Beowulf

Monsters play a big role in the poem of Beowulf. Without them, there would not be much of a story, and there is a purpose for each of them. They are there to represent the forces that go against the grain, trying to stop others from prevailing. Describing Grendel, “bearing God’s hatred, Grendel came hoping to kill” (Beowulf 33). They take pride in doing so and do not want to be associated with anyone. Later on, the author describes the dragon as “anxious to find the man who had robbed it of silver”(Beowulf 95). The monsters have many ways of heroic code by taking pride with what they do and going against what seems evil to them. It is what they believe in and are unique to themselves. They decide to be and act differently than everyone

John Leyerle, Jane Chance, and J.R.R. Tolkien all offer different and valuable insight to their respective depictions of Beowulf’s structure. While Chance and Tolkien are accurate in terms of the representation of the monsters and historical references in Beowulf, Leyerle’s argument offers a more inclusive and whole depiction of Beowulf’s structure. Leyerle describes the structure of Beowulf as interlacing. Leyerle’s essay is more cogent than Chance’s and Tolkien’s through the definition of interlace, the significance of digressions, and historical allusions presented in the poem.

The story of Beowulf is an ancient one, and one that has been passed down for generations. The ideals and themes are traditional and its message is clear throughout the entirety of the epic poem. Beowulf is told from the third person omniscient point of view, his conflict was always what one would call “the bad guy” or “the villain,” and though he died in the end, he won gold and victory for his kingdom; all bad guys defeated. John Gardner, author of Grendel, decided to take the classical story of good and evil, and tell a new story from the villain’s perspective. Grendel explores varying literary elements which exposes the character of Grendel to readers along with various themes represented throughout each page.

This is shown in the third and final battle as Beowulf sacrifices his life for the prosperity of the Geat nation. The dragon in this scenario encompasses extreme greed and selfishness. In the poem, a wretched man steals a golden goblet from the treasure that the dragon was protecting. After discovering that someone had stolen a piece of the treasure, the dragon awoke and “began to belch out flames / and burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow / that scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger / would leave nothing alive in his wake” (2311-2315). The dragon becomes enraged with greed over his possessions that he must avenge his stolen goblet. It is in this third battle that the poet describes why the hero cannot demonstrate these treacherous traits. Beowulf seeks vengeance for his Geat people: “My own kith and kin avenged” (2479). Just as Grendel’s mother, Beowulf seeks to avenge his kin in cold blood.

A monster shows up to terrorize a town and the people are frightened and do not know what to do. The king finds out and calls for a courageous and daring hero to venture across the sea the help fight the disastrous monster. The hero swoops in to fight the monster; after a long battle he defeats the monster. He saves the day and the whole town celebrates the hero and the great challenge that he has completed. Most storylines that include the topic of heroes versus monsters go something like that. As long as heroes and monsters remain a common topic among authors stories like these will always be written.These stories are told from the heroes point of view because people want to see the

I already watched the movie countless times so I`m practically bored during the movie viewing, it is because I already know what will happen next, it is also the reason why I don`t watch/read a movie/book twice because it spoils the fun of anticipating what will happen next.

Having the main focus of the poem, Beowulf, being about monsters, the three major monsters depicted in the poem playing crucial roles were Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon. Each monster had a big portion of the poem dedicated to them, in my opinion, Grendel's mother had the smallest portion but it was still pretty big.

Monsters. They’re everywhere, from Sulley in Monsters Inc., to the iconic role of Dracula, to being key figures in literature and film.These creatures are recurring characters due to the reactions they invoke from the audience and other characters of the work. Despite (or due to) their gruesome nature and physical appearance, monsters are able to tap into the spiritual, social, and psychological aspect of people to capture their fascination.

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 clothes; sometimes the may also be hiding in people’s own mind. Everybody tends to hide their own true personalities, so does monster.

Who doesn't love a classic tale of a hero who saves his people from death by gruesome monsters? While this is exactly how many would describe the famous Old English poem, Beowulf, when examined carefully, its plot may not be so clear cut. Contradictory to what one would expect, the author actually creates parallels between Beowulf and the monsters, through character descriptions, situational similarities, and linguistic choices such as the use of ambiguous pronouns. In addition, he or she often gives the monsters human-like qualities and explains their actions in a way which makes their actions seem reasonable, causing the reader to sympathize with them. Through the complex portrayal of Beowulf's enemies, the

“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.

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.

Antagonists are imagined to be horrifying monsters, who plainly exemplify vice and depravity, who lurk and prowl in the dark, yet they contain a greater, symbolic meaning for the majority of the time. As the literary critic James Earl once said, antagonists serve many purposes, including the idea of teaching the protagonist a moral lesson. In the poem “Beowulf,” the progression of the hero from a prideful, arrogant warrior to a weaker, doubtful lord is displayed. Beowulf, the hero, encounters three main opponents in order to expose the characteristics of a virtuous warrior and leader, the downfalls of being too prideful, and the transience of earthly life. Each adversary encountered contributes to these themes by containing a higher purpose

Hrothgar: He is the king of the Danes while Beowulf was still in his earlier years of life. Hrothgar had a problem with a monster named Grendel who threatened the Dane's way of life. Hrothgar is scared and frightened of Grendel. Herot is his mead hall that he embraces. He wants safety for all of his men. He got Beowulf to kill the monsters (Grendel and Grendel's mother) that threatened them. The amount of people in his mead hall determines the success of his ruling. This is an important theme in the story. When Hrothgar's mead hall was deserted, it signified that he was failing as a king. However, when Grendel and Grendel's mother was killed, his rulings became successful once again.Hrothgar: He is the king of the Danes while Beowulf was still in his earlier years of life.

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.