Beowulf': Introduction and the Review of the Poem

The epic poem, “Beowulf,” follows the protagonist and heroic figure Beowulf as he answers a call for help from the King of the village, King Hrothgar. The village was attacked several times by a “monster” by the name of Grendel. Beowulf brought some of his best men and traveled to Heorot to rid the kingdom of the beast and in turn receive gold and glory. In Beowulf essay introduction and poem review this literature work is analysed and discussed. 

The poem begins by describing the ancient line King Hrothgar had come from, and the famed Great Hall, Heorot, that the King had built as the pride and joy of the village. The Great Hall is one of the main settings of the story. King Hrothgar houses the warriors there and host’s great celebrations in their honor. It is also the place they gather to counsel and discuss. Heorot is not just a setting for the story, however, it symbolizes the success of King Hrothgar’s rule and the power he possesses over the neighboring kingdoms. Because the Dane’s (warriors) are able to find “solace and comfort,” in Heorot, it is symbolic of Hrothgar’s power over them.

Because the symbolism of Heorot is so distinct and important to the people, it is understandable why it is such a big deal when Grendel first attacks it. In the poem, it is mentioned that Grendel would attack the Hall and wage war on the people, however he could never sit upon the “treasure seat,” or the throne because “he was the Lord’s outcast”. This most likely is referring to the fact that the throne is specifically for the King. Because in this time, royalty was believed to be divinely chosen by God, this is an inference that Grendel is a demon. Grendel and his mother are the antagonists and are also constantly referred to as “monsters,” however there are also contradictions in the story that make it seem like Grendel and his mother are the victims of the story.

For example, one account considers Grendel and his mothers’ acts of vengeance to be purely selfish. Whereas Beowulf owes his allegiance to the King Hrothgar, Grendel kills only out of blood thirst, and the Mother kills out of a sense of revenge. The Mother had shown no sense of loyalty to Grendel before he died and she tried to enact revenge on the soldiers. For these reasons, they are both considered to be “evil”. Another account simply ignores her entire role in the poem, however most accounts refer to her as “evil,” “half-bestial” or “ogress”. However, it is important to note that while the reader was not aware of Grendel and his mother having an actual relationship, it does not mean they did not still love each other. While Grendel’s Mothers’ reaction to his death was to cause more violence and blood-shed, it was the only thing she had ever known and her intentions seemed to be purely out of grief for her son.

When Grendel was defeated and his limb was staked to the wall as a trophy, this had caused his Mother to not only seek revenge on the soldiers responsible, but also to retrieve his arm. Beowulf was not at the Hall when she first attacked, however when he became aware of her presence he immediately fell into his usual courageous role and suited up to kill her. This was an important distinguishment between Beowulf and his friends. While Beowulf does have some doubts about why he is a hero, simple acts like these distinguish him from the rest of the soldiers. He is presented with a sword, “Hrunting” from his friend, “Unferth”. The sword is famed for succeeding in whatever task it is given. While his friend is also a good warrior, Unferth does not have the courage Beowulf has and he [Unferth] recognizes this. This is why he gives the sword to Beowulf, he knows Beowulf will be brave enough to do the right thing.

Beowulf hunts down the Mother and finds her lair. He prepares to battle her. However, when it comes time for Beowulf to kill the Mother, he loses his sword, Hrunting, during the battle. He still kills the Mother, however he does so with an ordinary sword that had been lying on the ground of her cave in her pile of treasure. This is an important piece of symbolism. This relieves any doubts that Beowulf is truly a hero. Beowulf didn’t need an enchanted sword to kill the Mother, he killed her with an ordinary blade. This conveys to the readers that what makes Beowulf a hero is himself. He is not a hero because everyone believes he has the right characteristics to make him a hero, he simply has the skill.

In conclusion, the poem Beowulf follows the traditional epic plot including heroics, gold, glory, and challenges. However it is slightly deeper than that. It is not simply a black and white story of good vs evil. The characters are humanized by their flaws and their personal growth. The “monsters” of the story show aspects of good. All of the characters are flawed, however the distinguishment between good vs evil is based on which the character chooses to act on more.

Works Cited

• Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature.
• Gen. ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 10th ed. Vol. A. New York: Norton, 2018. 37-109
• “BEOWULF- EPIC POEM SUMMARY & ANALYSIS - Other Ancient Civilizations.” Ancient Literature, 24 Apr. 2020
• “Symbolism of Beowulf: Literature.” A Research Guide for Students, 2 Oct. 2019
• “Themes of Beowulf: Literature.” A Research Guide for Students, 28 Oct. 2019
• Additional informationNotes on contributorsM. Wendy HennequinM. Wendy Hennequin is a member of the Department of Languages. “We've Created a Monster: The Strange Case of Grendel's Mother.” Taylor & Francis