FratFiles

• Save Paper

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 personify 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).

When facing Grendel, Beowulf relies......

View the rest of this paper...

Approximate Word Count: 520
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

Similar Essays

1. Beowulf As Christian Allegory
   

   Beowulf As Christian Allegory 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

2. Christian And Pagan Ideals In Beowulf
   

   Christian And Pagan Ideals In Beowulf Before the invention of the printing press or written history, oral history, especially in early Germanic culture, became the foremost means

3. Christian Elements In Beowulf
   

   Christian Elements In Beowulf Beowulf is one of the great heroic poems in English literature. The epic follows a courageous warrior named Beowulf throughout his young, adult life

4. Beowulf
   

   beowulf Beowulf's Christian Tone Beowulf is an epic about a larger than life hero, who becomes leader of his people. The overall tone of Beowulf is predominantly Christian, "owing

5. Christian Symbolism In Beowulf
   

   Christian Symbolism in Beowulf Christian symbolism in Beowulf within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and