Human Psyche: The Symbolism of Grendel and His Mother In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, symbolism surrounds Grendel and his mother. The evil actions of both of the monsters, as well as their surroundings, reveal aspects of the human psyche. Grendel actions are based on resentment and malice that results from constant exclusion by those around him. The vengeance of a mother blinded by grief of her dead child fuels Grendel’s mother. The cave in which they dwell symbolises the dark world of
them the focus and purpose of the piece. Beowulf, excluding the sporadic historical anecdotes, is extremely basic in terms of its plot. Beowulf fights three monsters: a contemptible Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon that ultimately defeats him. Besides this, there is not much substance in the storyline.
September 2015 Magic and Symbolism in Beowulf The mythos of Beowulf is composed of a union, a fusion of Anglo-Saxon and Christian roots. The fusion introduces themes of both Christian and pagan ideals, effectively introducing magical elements into the narrative. The story relies heavily on veiling themes in the use of its characters and their interaction with the supernatural. The core of these interactions lies with Beowulf’s main villain, Grendel. The use of Grendel and the presence of magic
Maxwell Brennan CH 201 - 1109 November 20, 2014 Essay #2 Prompt #4 The Symbolism of Evil in Beowulf and The Odyssey One constantly recurring archetype in literature are monsters. Ancient literature has a slew of stories containing monster who terrorize, manipulate, and kill men. What gets overlooked in these stories is the importance of these evil figures that when juxtaposed with the heroes, make the protagonists look so heroic. Heroes usually follow a formula too which lessens their uniqueness
and relatable to contemporary society. The monk, the witch, and Grendel’s son and father were added in the story to give it a more complex flavor and color. However, they also serve a more important role. They convey a deeper lesson and add more symbolism to the story. Today, religion is not explicitly expressed as strongly as it was back when the book came out. Beowulf refers to God continuously throughout the older story. Today, society is not as comfortable with a story that has religion as one
over his section of land and people, but over a hill or more was another king who ruled his proportion of land and possessions. All it merely took of for one person to be banished was for one mead hall to onslaught and vanquish another mead hall. Grendel is every Anglo-Saxon's biggest fear. He is the mead hall wrecker who destroys mead hall inhabitants, and transforms them into outlanders and foreigners, drastically changing lives. He is the farthest thing from peaceful that ever come to place in