Beowulf the Monster

Beowulf The Monster

        Heros are praised for their great deeds, their incredible abilities and for fighting for what is right.  Rarely mentioned are the attributes that are considered to be wrong or evil.  In the epic, Beowulf, the protagonist is depicted as a hero who defies the odds and defeats multiple monsters while at the same time saving various peoples from further harm.  Beowulf portrays the typical characteristic of an epic hero; a confidence that edges on the side of cocky, an undying loyalty to those close to him, and a bravery that could be matched by no other soul.  Combine his heroism with many personal victories and he is greatly celebrated by the people of his kind.  But to those who stood in opposition to him did not see him as a hero but rather as an enemy; one who carried out actions that of a ‘monster’.  Although he may show the traits of a great person, Beowulf can also be paralleled and is similar to each of the great monsters that he slays, namely Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon.  

        Beowulf expresses many similarities to the monster who wreaks havoc on the mead hall of King Hrothgar.  The creature, Grendel, makes his home in the swamps that are not too distant from the great hall Heorot. (I, 104)  Grendel continuously causes much fear and suffering, to a point where the great hall that the king had built “stood empty” (II, 145).  This is exactly what Beowulf does to the sea in which he swims.  He kills many a sea monster and in doing so clears the waters for sailors. (IX, 568)  Just as Grendel empties the mead hall of people, Beowulf clears the sea of  the monsters that lived there.  When the two meet for a showdown, neither of them is carrying a weapon (X, 679).  Both simply rely on their pure strength to defeat the opponent, once again showing how alike they actually are.  Finally, both depend on an outer source to help win their; battles.  Grendel has a scaly skin that is protected by a demonic force that prevents any sort of weapon from harming him (XII, 803), whereas Beowulf claims to let fate decide the winner (X, 686-687), gambling that a greater plan will help prove him victorious.  

        The similarities don’t stop with just Grendel, they actually run in the family as the mother of Grendel is also much alike the heroic Beowulf.  Grendel’s mother comes to the Heorot seeking to avenge the death of her son and in doing so she takes one of King Hrothgar’s closest thanes (XIX, 1294)  This causes the main character to seek vengeance on the mother (XXI, 1384).  Both will seek out to attain retribution for the wrongs that have been committed to not only themselves, but also to those who are close to them as well.  The two also seem to hold divine abilities that other creature might not be able to call upon.  Beowulf is able to go into the lake where the monster’s lair is found, and he goes under the water for a full day (XXII, 1495), something that a ordinary person would not be able to do.  Grendel’s mother also has a skin that is impenetrable to even the great sword that Beowulf takes with him to the lair (XXII, 1523-2538).  Lastly, the mother’s lair is ridden with spoils from previous victories she has attained (XXIII, 1557), just as Beowulf  acquired many treasures from the conflicts he has won, showing the synonymity between the two.