Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulfs 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, "owe to a vision of evil in the world, a belief in the military group of Fate to rule human destiny, and resignation to the certainty of death." Parallelism in the midst of quite a little and providence, constant battling between good and evil, and the virtues of affection of others, moderation, and unselfishness all support this overall Christian tone.          "Beowulf is more than a conflict involving monsters, but it is an emblem depicting the constant battle between the forces of Good and Evil." The Evil in this case is Grendel. Grendel is portrayed as Gods antagonist, Satan. "Out from the marsh, from the foot of brumous hills and bogs, bearing Gods hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill anyone he could tr ap on this trip to high Herot." Grendel is cursed with every feature rejected by God. "He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born to Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abels death."          Beowulf is the protagonist in this epic. He is the coercive Good. No man can match his qualities. "But the truth is simple no man swims in the sea as I can, no effectiveness is a match for mine." Beowulf was the ideal warrior everyone believed in him. "Hrothgar believed in Beowulfs bold strength and the firmness of his spirit." Beowulf was also very determined. "I ordain fight until he (Grendel) dies or Ill die trying." His main purpose in Beowulf was to gain glory and fame in order to distinguish himself. And by doing so he proves to be a man of wisdom and integrity who has fought the good fight and has defeated the inferior evil.   & nbsp      Another important Christian principle, which was emphasized, was the constant parallelism between fate and providence. There was a belief in wyrd, a belief in the power of Fate to rule human destiny balanced by the power of God, who is ultimately in control. "God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip." Your fate was impossible to change. "Fate will unwind as it must" The future of a person was destined by their fate. "Fate saves the living when they drive away death by themselves"           The virtues of consideration for others, moderation, and unselfishness are also depicted and appreciated.