Benedict And Beowulf Essay
The Monsters of Christianity
At first glance, the Epic of Beowulf and The Rule of St. Benedict appear to have little in common. In the tale of Beowulf, a hero seeks to fulfill his destiny by slaying multiple beasts and protecting the Danes until his fated death. On the other hand, The Rule of St. Benedict discusses how monks should live in a God centered community with one another. Despite their differences, both these medieval works are fighting vicious fiends, literally and figuratively, with similar origins. All the monsters found in Beowulf and The Rule of St. Benedict originate in the fears of the community and the consequences of disregarding the values of the factions.
The communities described in The Rule of St. Benedict and Beowulf …show more content…
When compared to the typical woman that appears in Beowulf, Grendel’s Mother proves to be far different. In a culture where women are generally used to settle feuds through marriage, Grendel’s Mother alludes to a more protective and vindictive female figure. “He [Grendel] died in battle...and now this powerful other one arrives, this force for evil driven to avenge her kinsman’s death,” (1337-1340). By beginning a feud in the name of her son, Grendel’s Mother, who is not even given a name, is labeled as the opposite of an ideal …show more content…
The Dragon is depicted as a hoarder and Beowulf is shown as a generous king. The parallels between the Dragon and Beowulf suggest a connection between their characters. The way Beowulf and the Dragon both ruled over their bounty for fifty years and died in on account of one another demonstrates a doppelganger effect. Despite the difference in species, the main distinction between Beowulf and the Dragon was how Beowulf categorized as the ring-giver, or someone who shares treasure, while the Dragon hoarded treasure for fifty
At first glance, the Epic of Beowulf and The Rule of St. Benedict appear to have little in common. In the tale of Beowulf, a hero seeks to fulfill his destiny by slaying multiple beasts and protecting the Danes until his fated death. On the other hand, The Rule of St. Benedict discusses how monks should live in a God centered community with one another. Despite their differences, both these medieval works are fighting vicious fiends, literally and figuratively, with similar origins. All the monsters found in Beowulf and The Rule of St. Benedict originate in the fears of the community and the consequences of disregarding the values of the factions.
The communities described in The Rule of St. Benedict and Beowulf …show more content…
When compared to the typical woman that appears in Beowulf, Grendel’s Mother proves to be far different. In a culture where women are generally used to settle feuds through marriage, Grendel’s Mother alludes to a more protective and vindictive female figure. “He [Grendel] died in battle...and now this powerful other one arrives, this force for evil driven to avenge her kinsman’s death,” (1337-1340). By beginning a feud in the name of her son, Grendel’s Mother, who is not even given a name, is labeled as the opposite of an ideal …show more content…
The Dragon is depicted as a hoarder and Beowulf is shown as a generous king. The parallels between the Dragon and Beowulf suggest a connection between their characters. The way Beowulf and the Dragon both ruled over their bounty for fifty years and died in on account of one another demonstrates a doppelganger effect. Despite the difference in species, the main distinction between Beowulf and the Dragon was how Beowulf categorized as the ring-giver, or someone who shares treasure, while the Dragon hoarded treasure for fifty