Monsters Essay, Research Paper
In many stories throughout ancient times, Monsters
have been the focus of the problems in one’s society. These creatures
of the dark have always posed a certain threat to society. Further
monsters have been connected to features that are subhuman or
primitive animal like features. Beowulf, who’s author is unknown, is an
epic poem which portrays these themes associated with monsters
during the pre Anglo-Saxon times where feudalism has dawned and
revolves around a lonesome hero from Geatland named Beowulf. In this
epic poem monsters are shown as beings which exhibit the dark side of
man and bear features that are animal-like or grotesque, and later
showing how man shuns such beings. Throughout the poem three
monsters appear from the darkness. Grendel, a powerful monster
spawned from hell, Grendel’s mother, a creature that brewed in a cold
murky lake, and the Dragon, a great beast who personifies death, are
monsters in this poem who exhibit these traits of darkness.
The representation of evil where rage and wraith are involved
are most seen in the character of Grendel. The idea of rage and wraith
is seen as being linked to man’s violent ways are embodied in him. The
Author states “.., living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient
as day after day the music rang loud in the hall, the harp’s rejoicing”
(86-89), exposes Grendel’s great fury against this enjoyment. As
Grendel’s character development increases, the narrator tells of Grendel’s
features and origins which entails how he was ,”…spawned in that slime,
conceived of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God…” (104-107),
furthering the resentment of man, and man’s will of getting rid of such
freakish creatures. The author’s notation of Cain from the bible in the
line shows the dar
As opposed to Grendel’s deeds and wild rage, Grendel’s mother
can be seen as almost a moral antagonist. Grendel’s mother could be
viewed as having a human persona that is all too familiar to most people.
Grendel’s mother is seen as a symbol of revenge when the author states,
“But a monster had lived and meant revenge she’d brooded on her loss.
misery had brewed in her heart, that female horror,”( 1257-1259) which
displays the loss of Grendel and her revenge for his death. The plot of
Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel’s mother symbolizes man’s overcoming of
revenge. As for features represented in Grendel’s mother is spoken of as
being a she-wolf, displaying the human disinclination of the primal or
animal-like. Grendel’s mother is emblematic of the dark side of the
human psyche of its disaffection for revenge and disfavorment of the
primitive.
Of all the monsters in the poem, none can amount to the evil
and acridity of the dragon. The dragon is seen as the one who is most
despised because of his sense of true and metaphysical evil. One of his
traits would be that of greed. For example the line which states, “The cup
brought peace to a slave, pleased his master, but stirred the dragon’s
anger- The dragon followed anxious to find the man who had robbed it
of silver” (2285-2295), exhibits how one piece of treasure out of his
whole treasure can disturb such a creature. The poem later then captures
the dragon’s metaphysical villenous in taking out all of Beowulf’s villages
with his fiery breath. ((add one more sentence to back it up))
Anger, revenge and greed are traits of man’s dark side.
These qualities of man are embodied in monsters. Such monsters are
even more personified by giving certain looks in which are animal like
or subhuman.