Beowulf Good Vs Evil Essay

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Throughout history, literature has run the gamut with universal themes. Devotion vs. retaliation, good king vs. bad king, faith vs. doubt and knowledge vs. ignorance are some recognizable universal themes often featured in literature. Probably the most familiar theme of all, however, is the universal theme of good vs. evil. A favorite with authors, prophets and storytellers, good vs evil plays an important role within the confines of the chapters and lines. Its use in Beowulf is no exception. Commonly considered one of the most significant works of old English, Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf’s universal theme of good vs. evil dominates the alliterative verse poem. Just as the Greek epic, The Odyssey, and the Akkadian poem, Gilgamesh, revealed their central idea of good vs evil as evidenced in the text through the adventures of their heroes, Beowulf is no different. Set in Scandinavia, Beowulf, the poem’s protagonist, is a hero of the Geats. Throughout a good portion of his young life, and into the final portion of his older life, Beowulf strives…show more content…
With most life experiences, evil is not presented once, but rather frequently and consistently. Beowulf successfully rids the countryside of Grendel and his evil intentions, but continues to encounter evil in the form of Grendel’s angry mother and finally a dragon. Beowulf’s last battle results in a draw. He destroys the dragon, but in so doing, he sadly receives his own fatal wound. Throughout the poem, evil is presented by Grendel, his mother, and a dragon, whose very purpose in life is to make the lives of humanity a little more miserable. Beowulf represents the good and the ability to act selflessly and abolish villainy when help is needed. Just as the heroes in Odysseus and Gilgamesh fought through the trials in their life’s path, Beowulf honorably and faithfully sought to see good prevail over

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