Comparing Beowulf And A Clockwork Orange
In all works of literature, the role of the protagonist is the most important role for the reader because the protagonist is the one who is to define the perspective in which the story is told to the reader. More importantly the protagonist's actions and qualities are what set aside the protagonist from all of the other characters in a poem or novel. In A Clockwork Orange the protagonist, Alex is portrayed as a violent fifteen-year-old boy who deals with the inability to express his violent nature due to a treatment that forces him to feel pain every time he thinks about a violent thought. On the other hand, Beowulf, from the epic poem Beowulf, is a revered warrior who fights to protect the people of Denmark from the feared and vicious monster,
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Grendel. Although both of these protagonists deal with violence throughout the pieces, their unique characteristics set them apart from one another. Alex's desire to create havoc and evilness as the antihero in A Clockwork Orange, and Beowulf's desire to protect the people and his good hearted spirit as the hero in Beowulf, illustrate to the reader that Alex and Beowulf are the antithesis of each other.
In A Clockwork Orange, Alex serves as a character who creates havoc throughout the city in which he resides. After leaving the Korova Milkbar, a bar where Alex and his fellow friends, or "droogs," drink "drug-laced" milk, Alex commits crimes, such as attacking an old man while he is leaving the library (Burgess 1; Galens 3). Alex, along with his droogs, takes the old man's books and begins to burn and destroy them: " so Georgie let go of holding his goobers [lips] apart and just let him have one in the toothless rot [mouth] with his ringy fist, and that made the old veck [guy] start moaning a lot to then, then out comes the blood, my brothers " (Burgess 7). This quote shows the reader how violent Alex and his gang of droogs are. They find pleasure in attacking an elderly man to the point where he his completely beaten and bloody. Alex and his droogs continue committing these crimes throughout the novel and in another instance, they knock on someone's door saying that their friend is hurt and that they need to use the phone. Since the people refuse to comply, Alex, and his droogs break into the house wearing masks and viciously beat a man and gang rape his wife:
Plunging, I could slooshy [hear] cries of agony and this writer bleeding veck [guy] that Geogie and Pete held on to nearly got loose howling bezoomny [crazy] with the filthiest of slovos [words] that I already knew and others he was making up. Then after me it was right old Dim should have his turn, which he did in a beasty snorty howly sort of way with his Peebee Selley maskie taking no notice, while I held on to her (Burgess 23).
In this quote, Alex shows his lust and violence as he and his gang, attack the couple in the most violent way imaginable. This passage shows how violent the gang is with the couple and how they feel no remorse as they attack two mature adults. In addition, Alex is shown to be a savage human being as he rapes a woman and then passes her over and holds her down for a friend to rape as well. This is significant because it shows the true nature of Alex and how he enjoys committing crimes. For Alex and his gang, there is no limit as to how far they are willing to go with their attacks on innocent people. They are able to instill fear in society by committing these crimes on the innocent. There is no reason as to why they attack neither the old man nor the couple, other than the need to create havoc in the city.
By creating havoc everywhere, constantly attacking the powerless and raping women, Alex creates a notorious image of himself, especially in the eyes of those who know him. However, creating a notorious image is not very beneficial for him, because even his close friends lose respect for him:
P.R. Deltoid then did something I never thought any man like him who was supposed to turn us baddiwads [bad] into real horrorshow [good] malchicks [boys] would do, especially with all those rozzes [policemen] around. He came a bit nearer and he spat. He spat. He spat a full in my litso [face] and then wiped his wet spitty rot [mouth] with the back of his rooker [hand]" (Burgess 71)
In this quote, Alex is being visited in prison by his guidance counselor, P.R. Deltoid. Alex's violent and criminal actions push P.R. Deltoid to an extent that is unfathomable to Alex: spitting on Alex's face. P.R. Deltoid gets so fed up with Alex's antics that he has no respect for Alex anymore. The fact that Deltoid spits on his face is significant in this scene because it is a complete surprise for Alex. The act of spitting degrades Alex because there is no respect given to him by his close friends nor is he given any respect for creating a notorious image of himself by his fellow criminals. Alex's violent and uncontrolled nature leads even his close friends to despise him.
On the other hand, in Beowulf, Beowulf works to rid the lands of all chaos and destruction that the monster Grendel has unleashed. While coming out only at night, Grendel continuously entered the kingdom of Heorot to attack and kill the people. Beowulf goes as far as to offering his services to King Hrothgar of Denmark so he can destroy the evil monster Grendel. During his confrontation with the vicious monster, Beowulf successfully defeats the monster and rips off its arm as a trophy, leaving Grendel fatally wounded as he returns to his underwater layer: "A breach in the giant / flesh-frame showed then, shoulder-muscles / sprang apart, there was a snapping of tendons, / bone-locks burst. To Beowulf the glory / of this fight was granted; Grendel's lot / to flee the slopes fen-ward with flagging heart " (Alexander 77). In this scene from the poem, Beowulf successfully rips off the arm of Grendel and listens to every bone-crushing sound of Grendel's breaking arm. In addition, Beowulf knows that since he ripped off Grendel's arm, he was already ensured victory. Beowulf acts similarly when Grendel's mother arrives to avenge her son's death. After Grendel's mother takes and kills one of King Hrothgar's nobles, Beowulf follows her into her swamp lair and defeats her by cutting off her head with a mysterious giant's sword (Alexander 100). Beowulf constantly goes into battle for one main reason, which is to rid the lands of all monsters that spread havoc and destruction unto his people. Considering that Beowulf spent a good portion of his life trying to save the people from all sorts of monster and demons, the society begins to revere Beowulf even more than before. Prior to Beowulf's arrival at Heorot, Beowulf is only known for his amazing strengths and peerless warrior skills: "The seafarers used to say, I remember, / who took our gifts to the Geat people / in token of friendship that this fighting man / in his hand's grasp had the strength / of thirty other men" (Alexander 63). As King Hrothgar states in this quote, Beowulf has always been known to be a man of great strength. However, after Beowulf defeats Grendel and his mother, Beowulf gains a different type of acclamation. He is revered as a great warrior and Heorot's savior from the monsters:
Let swift thanks be given to the Governor of All, / seeing this sight! I have suffered a thousand / spites from Grendel but God works ever / miracle upon miracle, the Master of Heaven. / Until yesterday I doubted whether / our afflictions would find a remedy / in my lifetime / But one man has, / by the Lord's performed the thing / that all our thoughts and arts to this day / had failed to do (Alexander 80) In this quote Beowulf is being revered by King Hrothgar himself for his miraculous deeds. This excerpt from the poem shows how all of the king's efforts to subdue the terrifying monster Grendel and his destruction upon the lands failed. He also states how he almost lost faith in his Lord because of his unsuccessful attempts. And finally when Beowulf arrives in Heorot to provide his help, King Hrothgar feels confident again. The help and services that Beowulf provide the King and his people are nothing that could be repaid with money. The real reward that Beowulf receives for his actions is the respect of hundreds of people, including the King, all who proclaim Beowulf as their savior. Thus, the reverence that Beowulf receives from the society increases after he successfully kills the people's nightmare, Grendel and tries to bring back peace to Heorot.
Alex's vicious antics versus Beowulf's desire for peace in the cities shows that they are completely opposite characters. Alex travels throughout the town to create all sorts of problems that negatively affect the people. Beowulf is the complete opposite of Alex in that he fights to save and protect the people. Beowulf's efforts are directed to help the people of the town, which brings to light the fact that he wants to ensure peace in all of the cities. This is contradictory to how Alex desires havoc because he would rather have a dystopian society than a peaceful one. In addition, Alex's new reputation in society and with his close friends only worsens after every criminal act that he does because everyone starts to despise him. On the other hand, Beowulf's noble actions allow him to improve his reputation in the eyes of society even beyond his earlier reverence. Thus, Alex's and Beowulf's differential stance on social peace and stability shows that they are truly the antithesis of each other. Another important characteristic of Alex is the innate evilness that resides within him.
When Alex first tells the reader about his meeting with P.R. Deltoid, Alex is informed about how he had a good family and a good background. However, P.R. Deltoid is confused about how he became the criminal that he is (Burgess 39). The answer to the dilemma is simple: Alex is innately evil and "is firmly committed to evil," (Rabinovitz 15). Alex even discusses his wild fantasies of wanting to be the one who nail Jesus Christ to the cross (Burgess 79). His evilness expresses itself in his actions when he decides to go to the record store to buy some music, but instead, brings two ten year old girls home to rape. The reader can see the evilness in his character by the viciousness of his crime, and more importantly by his willingness to not change after his meetings with P.R. Deltoid. After Alex is exposed to Ludovico's Treatment in jail, he feels frustrated because he feels pain every time he thinks of something violent, but more importantly, because he can't be fully evil: "I found it very hard not to be very ill, but my gulliver [head] was aching shocking and my rot [mouth] was so dry that I had to take a skorry [fast] swig from the mil-bottle on the table Then I tried to be all reasonable and smiling for my health's sake " (Burgess 135-136). This quote is from after Alex returns to his home from his imprisonment and finds his family renouncing him. Although he wants to be angry and …show more content…
violent, he is unable to because of the treatment and begins to feel ill. He cannot commit his evil crimes because he can feel them even when he thinks about them so he is forced to smile so he can relieve himself of the incredible pain he experiences. Since Alex is forced to smile because of the treatment, this shows that Alex would actually do something violent if he were to have to opportunity to do so. Thus, Alex's evil and violent thoughts along with his vicious actions show the reader the full extent of his evil nature. In contrast, Beowulf proves that he is good and does not have any evil in his heart at all.
Since Beowulf's only goal in the poem is to help the people, Beowulf is the prime example of a good-doer. Through constant battles with the monsters that ruined the lives of the people in Denmark and Geatland, Beowulf shows that his main purpose is to help the people and to do good. He risks his own life to save the lives of people who he has never known. Even though Beowulf knows that he is going to fight dangerous monsters that have taken the lives of hundreds already, he accomplishes the task as more of a favor to the King than a job. Beowulf, throughout the entire poem, never asks for money for the services that he is to provide. In fact, in the original Beowulf, "the common Old English word for it, feoh [money], is used by itself three times " (Shippey 40). This in itself is significant for the poem because Beowulf does not wish to get any monetary reward for his brave and courageous gestures for the people of Heorot. His sole purpose in Heorot is to fight off the evil monsters and to spread goodness in the town, not to gain a lavish monetary reward. Also, when Beowulf goes to fight Grendel and then later on when he goes to fight Grendel's mother, "his [King Hrothgar's] last words before leaving the hero are a promise of a lavish reward," (Shippey 40). The King would like to reward Beowulf with something because he would like to repay him for his great deeds. Beowulf proves to
be far from a greedy and evil person because he does ask for anything in return. He intends to perform the duties asked of him as a favor, however, gladly accepts the rewards that are presented to him. Thus, Beowulf rids the cities of evil and spreads goodness and a new sense of security for the people, without ever demanding money or any other luxury, which is one of the most unselfish deeds a hero may do. Alex's sadistic nature is shown in how he finds pleasure in his violent and evil acts that leave many people bloody and bruised, and in one instance, dead. His evil nature is contradictory to Beowulf's in that Beowulf risks his own life to defend and protect others from monsters that have killed hundreds of people and spread fear throughout the lands. In addition to going into dangerous battles, Beowulf tries to save people who he might not ever meet, without ever demanding anything in return. His courageous acts of good show how good-hearted Beowulf is. This contrasting nature of good versus evil is one of the main defining lines that separates Alex from Beowulf. Lastly, Alex's characteristic qualities of evilness and desires to create havoc prove that he is indeed an antihero. An antihero is one who is ostracized by society and "who often exist in an absurd or incomprehensible universe and feel defeated and trapped in their lives" (Semansky 12). As already being an individual disliked by society, an antihero is forced to live in a different world than society. Since Alex is an antihero in A Clockwork Orange, he lives in an absurd world where he does not have many options to chose from anymore. Alex begins the novel, already despised by society due to his notorious image for criminal activities. However, after Alex is given Ludovico's Treatment, society begins to feel superior to Alex due to his inability to fight back. The treatment that Alex undergoes causes him to feel pain whenever he thinks about something violent or evil. Taking into account how evil Alex really is, these thoughts appear in his mind very often. However, Ludovico's Treatment forces him to restrain himself from thinking about all of these violent thoughts, thus leaving him with no option other than to think of happy thoughts. Alex is now subject to the torture of society and can not even protect himself: "Then I was tripped up and was on the floor and was being kicked at " (Burgess 146). In this quote, Alex describes how the old man that he had once beaten begins to attack and assault him, along with his fellow elders. Although Alex could have knocked the old men down at any point in this scene, he chooses not to, knowing that he would feel pain. He manages to run away but is tripped and attacked again by old men. Along with the group of old men, Alex is similarly repaid for his previous actions by almost everyone he assaulted and ravaged earlier. Since he is ostracized in society and left with no options for how to lead his life, Alex is the antihero of the novel after Ludovico's Treatment.
Beowulf, however, as the main character of an epic poem proves himself as the hero. Heroes, "according to Aristotle, are of noble birth and intentions but have a tragic flaw" (Semansky 12). Thus, a hero is one who is constantly trying to do noble, loyal, and unselfish acts but at the same time, has a single flaw that will lead to his downfall. Beowulf's acts of bravery to help save the people and the cities show his courageous nature and heroism. At the end of the poem, the townspeople revere him as their hero because he had the courage to fight off Grendel, Grendel's mother, and even a fire breathing dragon at an old age. Beowulf's altruistic nature and desire to help the people show how he is indeed a hero. However, Beowulf's "tragic flaw" is ironically his desire to be the hero. Knowing that he is at an extremely old age and not the same adventurous and powerful youth that he once was, he still decides to go to battle with the dragon. This final decision to be the hero of his people leads to his downfall and his demise. Beowulf overexerts himself by going off to battle because he wants to be revered and idolized as a great hero. Even as he is dying Beowulf wants to be heroic: "Beowulf dies and is buried above the battle,' overlooking the pale, cold sea, the perfect example of heroic transcendence," (Rexroth 169). Being Beowulf's last wish, his burial would be the final mark of his heroism and how he left the world a hero. He wants to be known as the hero who never stopped being a hero even as he is dying. The characteristic qualities of bravery, altruism, and his tragic flaw of always wanting to be a hero, are what undoubtedly make Beowulf a true hero. The most notable and defining attribute between Alex and Beowulf is how Alex is the antihero of his novella while Beowulf is the hero of his poem. Alex's vicious actions as the main character of the novel not only cause his closest friends to despise him, but also the reader grows to dislike his evil actions and desires. However, since he is an antihero, he is soon rendered hopeless, powerless, and subject to society's torture due to Ludovico's Treatment, which causes the reader to pity him: "Readers also sympathize with Alex when he returns home from prison only to be rejected by his parents, and when he is beaten by Dim and Billyboy and cannot defend himself because of his conditioned aversion to violence" (Semansky 12). This new state of being causes the reader to feel pity on Alex because he is helpless and alone. His only family has renounced him while his "friends" savagely beat him and leave him to die. Additionally, those that Alex had abused prior to his arrest, come back to gain revenge on him for his horrible actions against them and even try to drive him to suicide. These antiheroic qualities help arouse the reader's sympathy "for a character who in most ways is abominable" (Semansky 11). On the other hand, the heroic feats that Beowulf takes on and accomplishes cause the reader to become mesmerized by his abilities and his personality. With every single action that Beowulf takes, the reader is brought deeper into Beowulf and his unbelievable altruism and care for others. Whenever Beowulf puts himself on the line, the reader becomes intrigued by his incomparable bravery and courage. In addition, the reader becomes interested and curious in why Beowulf is so unselfish and incredibly generous. However, the main reason for this is that Beowulf is because he is not a materialistic hero, but rather a charitable hero. The fact that Beowulf is the hero in his epic poem and Alex is the antihero in the novella is the quintessential difference that defines the antithetical nature of Alex and Beowulf. In both of these pieces of literature, the protagonists have to deal with violence. However, both of these characters express their own need for violence very differently. Alex wishes to spread violence everywhere because he wants complete chaos everywhere he goes. He does not wish for the good of people and his evil nature shows that he is an antihero, one that has been ostracized by society and is trapped in his own incomprehensible world of unleashable violence due to his treatment. Beowulf on the other hand works for the betterment of people in Denmark and Geatland. His altruistic nature and courage prove to the reader that he is indeed a hero in Beowulf. Since both of these protagonists have so many contrasting qualities and differ on so many different levels, Alex and Beowulf are truly antitheses of each other.
Alexander, Michael. Beowulf. Trans. Michael Alexander. England: Penguin Classics. 1973.
Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York: WW Norton & Company. 1962.
Galens, David. "A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group. 2002.
Rabinovitz, Rubin. "Ethical Values in Burgess's A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group. 2002.
Rexroth, Kenneth. "Classics Revisited IV: Beowulf." The Beowulf Poet. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1968.
Semansky, Chris. "Critical Essay on A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group.2002
Shippey, T. A. "The World of the Poem." Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1987.
Grendel. Although both of these protagonists deal with violence throughout the pieces, their unique characteristics set them apart from one another. Alex's desire to create havoc and evilness as the antihero in A Clockwork Orange, and Beowulf's desire to protect the people and his good hearted spirit as the hero in Beowulf, illustrate to the reader that Alex and Beowulf are the antithesis of each other.
In A Clockwork Orange, Alex serves as a character who creates havoc throughout the city in which he resides. After leaving the Korova Milkbar, a bar where Alex and his fellow friends, or "droogs," drink "drug-laced" milk, Alex commits crimes, such as attacking an old man while he is leaving the library (Burgess 1; Galens 3). Alex, along with his droogs, takes the old man's books and begins to burn and destroy them: " so Georgie let go of holding his goobers [lips] apart and just let him have one in the toothless rot [mouth] with his ringy fist, and that made the old veck [guy] start moaning a lot to then, then out comes the blood, my brothers " (Burgess 7). This quote shows the reader how violent Alex and his gang of droogs are. They find pleasure in attacking an elderly man to the point where he his completely beaten and bloody. Alex and his droogs continue committing these crimes throughout the novel and in another instance, they knock on someone's door saying that their friend is hurt and that they need to use the phone. Since the people refuse to comply, Alex, and his droogs break into the house wearing masks and viciously beat a man and gang rape his wife:
Plunging, I could slooshy [hear] cries of agony and this writer bleeding veck [guy] that Geogie and Pete held on to nearly got loose howling bezoomny [crazy] with the filthiest of slovos [words] that I already knew and others he was making up. Then after me it was right old Dim should have his turn, which he did in a beasty snorty howly sort of way with his Peebee Selley maskie taking no notice, while I held on to her (Burgess 23).
In this quote, Alex shows his lust and violence as he and his gang, attack the couple in the most violent way imaginable. This passage shows how violent the gang is with the couple and how they feel no remorse as they attack two mature adults. In addition, Alex is shown to be a savage human being as he rapes a woman and then passes her over and holds her down for a friend to rape as well. This is significant because it shows the true nature of Alex and how he enjoys committing crimes. For Alex and his gang, there is no limit as to how far they are willing to go with their attacks on innocent people. They are able to instill fear in society by committing these crimes on the innocent. There is no reason as to why they attack neither the old man nor the couple, other than the need to create havoc in the city.
By creating havoc everywhere, constantly attacking the powerless and raping women, Alex creates a notorious image of himself, especially in the eyes of those who know him. However, creating a notorious image is not very beneficial for him, because even his close friends lose respect for him:
P.R. Deltoid then did something I never thought any man like him who was supposed to turn us baddiwads [bad] into real horrorshow [good] malchicks [boys] would do, especially with all those rozzes [policemen] around. He came a bit nearer and he spat. He spat. He spat a full in my litso [face] and then wiped his wet spitty rot [mouth] with the back of his rooker [hand]" (Burgess 71)
In this quote, Alex is being visited in prison by his guidance counselor, P.R. Deltoid. Alex's violent and criminal actions push P.R. Deltoid to an extent that is unfathomable to Alex: spitting on Alex's face. P.R. Deltoid gets so fed up with Alex's antics that he has no respect for Alex anymore. The fact that Deltoid spits on his face is significant in this scene because it is a complete surprise for Alex. The act of spitting degrades Alex because there is no respect given to him by his close friends nor is he given any respect for creating a notorious image of himself by his fellow criminals. Alex's violent and uncontrolled nature leads even his close friends to despise him.
On the other hand, in Beowulf, Beowulf works to rid the lands of all chaos and destruction that the monster Grendel has unleashed. While coming out only at night, Grendel continuously entered the kingdom of Heorot to attack and kill the people. Beowulf goes as far as to offering his services to King Hrothgar of Denmark so he can destroy the evil monster Grendel. During his confrontation with the vicious monster, Beowulf successfully defeats the monster and rips off its arm as a trophy, leaving Grendel fatally wounded as he returns to his underwater layer: "A breach in the giant / flesh-frame showed then, shoulder-muscles / sprang apart, there was a snapping of tendons, / bone-locks burst. To Beowulf the glory / of this fight was granted; Grendel's lot / to flee the slopes fen-ward with flagging heart " (Alexander 77). In this scene from the poem, Beowulf successfully rips off the arm of Grendel and listens to every bone-crushing sound of Grendel's breaking arm. In addition, Beowulf knows that since he ripped off Grendel's arm, he was already ensured victory. Beowulf acts similarly when Grendel's mother arrives to avenge her son's death. After Grendel's mother takes and kills one of King Hrothgar's nobles, Beowulf follows her into her swamp lair and defeats her by cutting off her head with a mysterious giant's sword (Alexander 100). Beowulf constantly goes into battle for one main reason, which is to rid the lands of all monsters that spread havoc and destruction unto his people. Considering that Beowulf spent a good portion of his life trying to save the people from all sorts of monster and demons, the society begins to revere Beowulf even more than before. Prior to Beowulf's arrival at Heorot, Beowulf is only known for his amazing strengths and peerless warrior skills: "The seafarers used to say, I remember, / who took our gifts to the Geat people / in token of friendship that this fighting man / in his hand's grasp had the strength / of thirty other men" (Alexander 63). As King Hrothgar states in this quote, Beowulf has always been known to be a man of great strength. However, after Beowulf defeats Grendel and his mother, Beowulf gains a different type of acclamation. He is revered as a great warrior and Heorot's savior from the monsters:
Let swift thanks be given to the Governor of All, / seeing this sight! I have suffered a thousand / spites from Grendel but God works ever / miracle upon miracle, the Master of Heaven. / Until yesterday I doubted whether / our afflictions would find a remedy / in my lifetime / But one man has, / by the Lord's performed the thing / that all our thoughts and arts to this day / had failed to do (Alexander 80) In this quote Beowulf is being revered by King Hrothgar himself for his miraculous deeds. This excerpt from the poem shows how all of the king's efforts to subdue the terrifying monster Grendel and his destruction upon the lands failed. He also states how he almost lost faith in his Lord because of his unsuccessful attempts. And finally when Beowulf arrives in Heorot to provide his help, King Hrothgar feels confident again. The help and services that Beowulf provide the King and his people are nothing that could be repaid with money. The real reward that Beowulf receives for his actions is the respect of hundreds of people, including the King, all who proclaim Beowulf as their savior. Thus, the reverence that Beowulf receives from the society increases after he successfully kills the people's nightmare, Grendel and tries to bring back peace to Heorot.
Alex's vicious antics versus Beowulf's desire for peace in the cities shows that they are completely opposite characters. Alex travels throughout the town to create all sorts of problems that negatively affect the people. Beowulf is the complete opposite of Alex in that he fights to save and protect the people. Beowulf's efforts are directed to help the people of the town, which brings to light the fact that he wants to ensure peace in all of the cities. This is contradictory to how Alex desires havoc because he would rather have a dystopian society than a peaceful one. In addition, Alex's new reputation in society and with his close friends only worsens after every criminal act that he does because everyone starts to despise him. On the other hand, Beowulf's noble actions allow him to improve his reputation in the eyes of society even beyond his earlier reverence. Thus, Alex's and Beowulf's differential stance on social peace and stability shows that they are truly the antithesis of each other. Another important characteristic of Alex is the innate evilness that resides within him.
When Alex first tells the reader about his meeting with P.R. Deltoid, Alex is informed about how he had a good family and a good background. However, P.R. Deltoid is confused about how he became the criminal that he is (Burgess 39). The answer to the dilemma is simple: Alex is innately evil and "is firmly committed to evil," (Rabinovitz 15). Alex even discusses his wild fantasies of wanting to be the one who nail Jesus Christ to the cross (Burgess 79). His evilness expresses itself in his actions when he decides to go to the record store to buy some music, but instead, brings two ten year old girls home to rape. The reader can see the evilness in his character by the viciousness of his crime, and more importantly by his willingness to not change after his meetings with P.R. Deltoid. After Alex is exposed to Ludovico's Treatment in jail, he feels frustrated because he feels pain every time he thinks of something violent, but more importantly, because he can't be fully evil: "I found it very hard not to be very ill, but my gulliver [head] was aching shocking and my rot [mouth] was so dry that I had to take a skorry [fast] swig from the mil-bottle on the table Then I tried to be all reasonable and smiling for my health's sake " (Burgess 135-136). This quote is from after Alex returns to his home from his imprisonment and finds his family renouncing him. Although he wants to be angry and …show more content…
violent, he is unable to because of the treatment and begins to feel ill. He cannot commit his evil crimes because he can feel them even when he thinks about them so he is forced to smile so he can relieve himself of the incredible pain he experiences. Since Alex is forced to smile because of the treatment, this shows that Alex would actually do something violent if he were to have to opportunity to do so. Thus, Alex's evil and violent thoughts along with his vicious actions show the reader the full extent of his evil nature. In contrast, Beowulf proves that he is good and does not have any evil in his heart at all.
Since Beowulf's only goal in the poem is to help the people, Beowulf is the prime example of a good-doer. Through constant battles with the monsters that ruined the lives of the people in Denmark and Geatland, Beowulf shows that his main purpose is to help the people and to do good. He risks his own life to save the lives of people who he has never known. Even though Beowulf knows that he is going to fight dangerous monsters that have taken the lives of hundreds already, he accomplishes the task as more of a favor to the King than a job. Beowulf, throughout the entire poem, never asks for money for the services that he is to provide. In fact, in the original Beowulf, "the common Old English word for it, feoh [money], is used by itself three times " (Shippey 40). This in itself is significant for the poem because Beowulf does not wish to get any monetary reward for his brave and courageous gestures for the people of Heorot. His sole purpose in Heorot is to fight off the evil monsters and to spread goodness in the town, not to gain a lavish monetary reward. Also, when Beowulf goes to fight Grendel and then later on when he goes to fight Grendel's mother, "his [King Hrothgar's] last words before leaving the hero are a promise of a lavish reward," (Shippey 40). The King would like to reward Beowulf with something because he would like to repay him for his great deeds. Beowulf proves to
be far from a greedy and evil person because he does ask for anything in return. He intends to perform the duties asked of him as a favor, however, gladly accepts the rewards that are presented to him. Thus, Beowulf rids the cities of evil and spreads goodness and a new sense of security for the people, without ever demanding money or any other luxury, which is one of the most unselfish deeds a hero may do. Alex's sadistic nature is shown in how he finds pleasure in his violent and evil acts that leave many people bloody and bruised, and in one instance, dead. His evil nature is contradictory to Beowulf's in that Beowulf risks his own life to defend and protect others from monsters that have killed hundreds of people and spread fear throughout the lands. In addition to going into dangerous battles, Beowulf tries to save people who he might not ever meet, without ever demanding anything in return. His courageous acts of good show how good-hearted Beowulf is. This contrasting nature of good versus evil is one of the main defining lines that separates Alex from Beowulf. Lastly, Alex's characteristic qualities of evilness and desires to create havoc prove that he is indeed an antihero. An antihero is one who is ostracized by society and "who often exist in an absurd or incomprehensible universe and feel defeated and trapped in their lives" (Semansky 12). As already being an individual disliked by society, an antihero is forced to live in a different world than society. Since Alex is an antihero in A Clockwork Orange, he lives in an absurd world where he does not have many options to chose from anymore. Alex begins the novel, already despised by society due to his notorious image for criminal activities. However, after Alex is given Ludovico's Treatment, society begins to feel superior to Alex due to his inability to fight back. The treatment that Alex undergoes causes him to feel pain whenever he thinks about something violent or evil. Taking into account how evil Alex really is, these thoughts appear in his mind very often. However, Ludovico's Treatment forces him to restrain himself from thinking about all of these violent thoughts, thus leaving him with no option other than to think of happy thoughts. Alex is now subject to the torture of society and can not even protect himself: "Then I was tripped up and was on the floor and was being kicked at " (Burgess 146). In this quote, Alex describes how the old man that he had once beaten begins to attack and assault him, along with his fellow elders. Although Alex could have knocked the old men down at any point in this scene, he chooses not to, knowing that he would feel pain. He manages to run away but is tripped and attacked again by old men. Along with the group of old men, Alex is similarly repaid for his previous actions by almost everyone he assaulted and ravaged earlier. Since he is ostracized in society and left with no options for how to lead his life, Alex is the antihero of the novel after Ludovico's Treatment.
Beowulf, however, as the main character of an epic poem proves himself as the hero. Heroes, "according to Aristotle, are of noble birth and intentions but have a tragic flaw" (Semansky 12). Thus, a hero is one who is constantly trying to do noble, loyal, and unselfish acts but at the same time, has a single flaw that will lead to his downfall. Beowulf's acts of bravery to help save the people and the cities show his courageous nature and heroism. At the end of the poem, the townspeople revere him as their hero because he had the courage to fight off Grendel, Grendel's mother, and even a fire breathing dragon at an old age. Beowulf's altruistic nature and desire to help the people show how he is indeed a hero. However, Beowulf's "tragic flaw" is ironically his desire to be the hero. Knowing that he is at an extremely old age and not the same adventurous and powerful youth that he once was, he still decides to go to battle with the dragon. This final decision to be the hero of his people leads to his downfall and his demise. Beowulf overexerts himself by going off to battle because he wants to be revered and idolized as a great hero. Even as he is dying Beowulf wants to be heroic: "Beowulf dies and is buried above the battle,' overlooking the pale, cold sea, the perfect example of heroic transcendence," (Rexroth 169). Being Beowulf's last wish, his burial would be the final mark of his heroism and how he left the world a hero. He wants to be known as the hero who never stopped being a hero even as he is dying. The characteristic qualities of bravery, altruism, and his tragic flaw of always wanting to be a hero, are what undoubtedly make Beowulf a true hero. The most notable and defining attribute between Alex and Beowulf is how Alex is the antihero of his novella while Beowulf is the hero of his poem. Alex's vicious actions as the main character of the novel not only cause his closest friends to despise him, but also the reader grows to dislike his evil actions and desires. However, since he is an antihero, he is soon rendered hopeless, powerless, and subject to society's torture due to Ludovico's Treatment, which causes the reader to pity him: "Readers also sympathize with Alex when he returns home from prison only to be rejected by his parents, and when he is beaten by Dim and Billyboy and cannot defend himself because of his conditioned aversion to violence" (Semansky 12). This new state of being causes the reader to feel pity on Alex because he is helpless and alone. His only family has renounced him while his "friends" savagely beat him and leave him to die. Additionally, those that Alex had abused prior to his arrest, come back to gain revenge on him for his horrible actions against them and even try to drive him to suicide. These antiheroic qualities help arouse the reader's sympathy "for a character who in most ways is abominable" (Semansky 11). On the other hand, the heroic feats that Beowulf takes on and accomplishes cause the reader to become mesmerized by his abilities and his personality. With every single action that Beowulf takes, the reader is brought deeper into Beowulf and his unbelievable altruism and care for others. Whenever Beowulf puts himself on the line, the reader becomes intrigued by his incomparable bravery and courage. In addition, the reader becomes interested and curious in why Beowulf is so unselfish and incredibly generous. However, the main reason for this is that Beowulf is because he is not a materialistic hero, but rather a charitable hero. The fact that Beowulf is the hero in his epic poem and Alex is the antihero in the novella is the quintessential difference that defines the antithetical nature of Alex and Beowulf. In both of these pieces of literature, the protagonists have to deal with violence. However, both of these characters express their own need for violence very differently. Alex wishes to spread violence everywhere because he wants complete chaos everywhere he goes. He does not wish for the good of people and his evil nature shows that he is an antihero, one that has been ostracized by society and is trapped in his own incomprehensible world of unleashable violence due to his treatment. Beowulf on the other hand works for the betterment of people in Denmark and Geatland. His altruistic nature and courage prove to the reader that he is indeed a hero in Beowulf. Since both of these protagonists have so many contrasting qualities and differ on so many different levels, Alex and Beowulf are truly antitheses of each other.
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Burgess, Anthony. A Clockwork Orange. New York: WW Norton & Company. 1962.
Galens, David. "A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group. 2002.
Rabinovitz, Rubin. "Ethical Values in Burgess's A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group. 2002.
Rexroth, Kenneth. "Classics Revisited IV: Beowulf." The Beowulf Poet. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1968.
Semansky, Chris. "Critical Essay on A Clockwork Orange." Novels for Students: Volume 15. New York: The Gale Group.2002
Shippey, T. A. "The World of the Poem." Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1987.