Beowulf Monster Vs Hero Essay - 1557 Words

In Christian medieval culture, the term â€Å"monster† was used to refer to anything born with defects, as they were deemed God given signs of bad things to come. However, when exactly does a person gain the title of â€Å"hero†? From acts of defeating monsters, to defending a distressed village against a powerful plague, many are then considered heroes, yet when someone considered a monster does something heroic, does that cancel out their villainy? And vice versa? While Beowulf exhibits a multitude of heroic attributes, his undermining beast like qualities are hard to miss, and essentially pose the question to the reader: What is the relationship between monster and hero, and is there an overlap? The epic Beowulf blurs the lines between what it†¦show more content†¦With a great and horrendous monster like Grendel, one would think that the author would describe the onset fear he produces onto his victims. However, when Grendel and Beowulf commence their battle , there is an immediate change of tone and diction that visibly illustrates a fear of Beowulf and his strength. From â€Å"The captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the Earth.† (lines 749-752) to â€Å"It was the worst trip the terror-monger had taken to Heorot.†(lines 764-765). If the poet were to omit the nouns used to entitle Grendel(captain of evil and terror-monger), with that of his actual name, one could not help but sympathize with his pain. The climax of his fear ends with â€Å"Then an extraordinary wail arose, and bewildering fear came over the Danes.† (lines 781-783). It is interesting to see that the Danes is described as in fear, once Grendel has cried out in explicit pain due to his defeat. This ties back to the roles and relationship of Heroes and Monsters. Whilst Beowulf is the Hero of this epic, his presence and actions descriptively trigger the most fear among the monster, and thus the the danes as well. This leads to the manifestation of a sort of â€Å"evil twin† story line. An evil twin story usually depicts physical copies of protagonists, but with profoundly inverted moralities. However,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Beowulf study guide1576 Words   |  7 PagesHrothgar and his response to learning that Beowulf has come to his kingdom. A. The king is sad and depressed that his kingdom has fallen into such a state of disrepair. He is overjoyed to learn that Beowulf, whom he knows from stories and his father, Ecgtheow, has come to fight Grendel. Hrothgar promises Beowulf treasure if he can defeat the monster. 2) In the beginning of â€Å"Beowulf,† King Hrothgar’s hall has been deserted for twelve years. In a short essay, tell why the hall has been deserted. 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