Good Vs. Evil

Good Vs. Evil

Good and evil has existed throughout all of time. The heroes defend the righteous, while the evil villains dwell on destruction. In the epic poem Beowulf, both of the main characters represent these qualities perfectly. There is an everlasting struggle between good and evil. Beowulf represents the ability to do good, or to perform acts selflessly. On the other hand, the monsters of the poem are filled with a desire to act against people and ultimately destroy them. In the end, Beowulf is the almighty hero who conquers the evil Grendel, Grendel's mother and the dragon. Each fight shows an different, unique part of Beowulf. The fight with Grendel proves his overwhelming strength, the fight with Grendel's mother shows his hidden weakness and the fight with the dragon leads to his death, as well as the creation of a new hero.

By constantly following the rules of God, Beowulf is all that is moral. Beowulf represents God, while Grendel symbolizes Satan. Grendel condemns those rules to live by his own. His fight with Grendel proves Beowulf's dominating power. Everyone that attempted to kill Grendel always used weapons, which is why Beowulf said that he would not use them. This fight was his chance to prove himself, and receive the fame he longs for. He is very conceited because he is much stronger than anyone else. Beowulf is described as the strongest man to live during the fight. "The captain of evil discovered himself in a handgrip harder than anything he had ever encountered in any man on the face of the earth" (l. 749-752). "He was overwhelmed, manacled tight by the man who of all men was foremost and strongest in the days of his life " (l. 787-789). This shows how truly powerful Beowulf is. This first fight with Grendel is an ideal example of Beowulf's overwhelming strength.

After Beowulf defeats Grendal with his bare hands, he has to fight Grendal's avenging mother. His mother represents a spiteful evil. For the death of her son, she desires revenge on the Danes. Beowulf struggles against Grendel's mother unlike his first fight. This fight was a lot more difficult than the one with Grendel, as there was no need for any armor and weapons during his previous fight. Grendel's mother "lunged and clutched and managed to catch him in her brutal grip" (l. 1501-1502) and Beowulf struggled to escape. In the end, Beowulf finds a huge sword and kills her with it. This fight with Grendel's mother is surprising as Beowulf's hidden weaknesses and struggles appear.

About fifty years after the fight with Grendel and his mother, Beowulf fights a dragon. "That final day was the first time when Beowulf fought and fate denied him of glory in battle" (l. 2571-2573). A new hero is found when Wiglaf defends Beowulf and defeats the dragon. In the end, Beowulf dies. "After many trials, he was destined to