Beowulf Comparison Essay

Beowulf, is an epic poem that’s original version was written around 800-1,100 AD by an author unknown. This Old English literature classic was written perhaps by a scop, one who wrote and recited poems in a form of entertainment during Medieval England. In this composition the main protagonist, whose name is Beowulf, is viewed as a courageous Geatish hero who takes on multiple confrontations against Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. The audience of this story back then would most likely have been Medieval Kinsmen at a mead hall, sitting around tables, listening to a scop recite the poem. During this time period, stories with heroic characters were very. Because so much unrest and fighting was going on then, it seems appropriate for stories of brave warriors and such to slip right into literature as well. The original text of Beowulf has been passed down for centuries. The one thing that you have to understand is, just like the Bible, this piece of literature has been reshaped, reworded, and reevaluated so many times that its original text is very different from today’s and its original storyline and even meaning may have been disheveled in the
Throughout the reading, the theme of fate comes up a lot. Fate, in Anglo-Saxon culture, controls every event of the world and thus Beowulf is always doing good and Grendel, well Grendel is committing purely evil acts. So this theme of fate segues into the most important theme of the book which is good vs evil. We have established both characters to either side, hero with good, monster with evil, but what makes Grendel so evil you may ask. Not only does he look like a huge human being monster, but he also slaughters Geatish men while they are sleeping. Grendel does not have his first fair fight until Beowulf where he loses and is finally killed, which is a huge relief to those wondering if they will be killed during