Literary Analysis Beowulf
Beowulf Literary Analysis
The battle between good and evil is one that has been going on almost as long as humans have walked the earth. In the epic poem Beowulf this longstanding battle between good and evil is present between Beowulf, the hero, and Grendel, the monster from the moor. The extensive use of both kennings and alliterations in the poem assist in defining these roles of good and evil through Beowulf and Grendel. Kennings provide a powerful description of these characters by exchanging banal adjectives or nouns with strong and direct compound words that seem to perfectly sum up the character. In the case of Grendel, he is the monster that is terrorizing the Danes by killing their men and preventing anyone from entering the mead hall. He is described as, “mankind’s enemy” (79) and “The shadow of death” (74). These descriptions dwell into the true evil that Grendel represents; he is described as being from this hellish place beneath the moor, and is said to be descended from Cain. As for Beowulf, he is the polar opposite of Grendel, in that he travels a great distance, across oceans, in order to save the Danes from the monster. Beowulf is known as, “that noble protector of all seamen” (578). He is noble and strong and is everything that embodies the warrior culture of his time. Beowulf single-handedly kills the monster that has been terrorizing the Danes, and does so with almost supernatural strength that is so common amongst epic heroes. Alliterations also play a very key role in describing the epic hero and villain of the poem. Alliterations use similar consonant sounds to emphasize a particular point about a certain character. Grendel is described as this lurking and deadly creature from the depths of the Earth. When Grendel comes to the mead hall he comes, “Up from his swampland, sliding silently/ Toward that gold-shining hall.” (239). The repetition of the “s” sound gives Grendel almost this snake-like quality, in which he seems to be
The battle between good and evil is one that has been going on almost as long as humans have walked the earth. In the epic poem Beowulf this longstanding battle between good and evil is present between Beowulf, the hero, and Grendel, the monster from the moor. The extensive use of both kennings and alliterations in the poem assist in defining these roles of good and evil through Beowulf and Grendel. Kennings provide a powerful description of these characters by exchanging banal adjectives or nouns with strong and direct compound words that seem to perfectly sum up the character. In the case of Grendel, he is the monster that is terrorizing the Danes by killing their men and preventing anyone from entering the mead hall. He is described as, “mankind’s enemy” (79) and “The shadow of death” (74). These descriptions dwell into the true evil that Grendel represents; he is described as being from this hellish place beneath the moor, and is said to be descended from Cain. As for Beowulf, he is the polar opposite of Grendel, in that he travels a great distance, across oceans, in order to save the Danes from the monster. Beowulf is known as, “that noble protector of all seamen” (578). He is noble and strong and is everything that embodies the warrior culture of his time. Beowulf single-handedly kills the monster that has been terrorizing the Danes, and does so with almost supernatural strength that is so common amongst epic heroes. Alliterations also play a very key role in describing the epic hero and villain of the poem. Alliterations use similar consonant sounds to emphasize a particular point about a certain character. Grendel is described as this lurking and deadly creature from the depths of the Earth. When Grendel comes to the mead hall he comes, “Up from his swampland, sliding silently/ Toward that gold-shining hall.” (239). The repetition of the “s” sound gives Grendel almost this snake-like quality, in which he seems to be