In the story "Beowulf" it is obvious that the fight is between good and evil. But in the bigger picture, it is between religion. Similar to the Crusades Christianity vs. Islam. Beowulf can be characterized a crusader fighting for God's will. Grendel is the offspring of Cain, the first murderer. Grendel carries the curse that God put on him which explains why Cain's offspring, Grendel is evil. Beowulf is seen as God's "soldier" to defeat and eliminate evil from the world such as Grendel.
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Very good analysis.
ReplyDeleteWhat real life threats might Grendel have represented to the Anglo Saxons?
Mr. D.
Grendel posed a threat by raiding Anglo-Saxon villages such as Herot. When he raided Herot, he killed and massacred the people of Herot at night.
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