October 14, 2012
English 12
Good vs. Evil
Since the beginning of time there have be stories of good vs. evil. It when the darkness and the light collide. The most common stories are about heaven vs. hell, when god fights the devil. In other stories its hero vs. villain. Like Batman vs. the Joker or Spiderman vs. Venom. In the Anglo-Saxon time there was a hero named Beowulf who had three of the biggest battles in that time period between a monster named Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and a dragon. In the Anglo-Saxon time a hero was someone who was willing to sacrifice his or her life to protect the people and the king. They looked for a strong and powerful warrior “"So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by/ and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness/ we have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns"(Beowulf lines 1-3)Beowulf was prince of the Geats, who came to King Hrothgar’s castle to help rid him of an evil force, Grendel. "So Grendel waged his lonely war/ inflicting constant cruelties on the people/ atrocious hurt/ he took over Heorot/ haunted the glittering hall after dark/ but the throne itself, the treasure-seat/ he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord's outcast.”(Beowulf lines 164-169). Each time Grendel attacked the castle, King Horthgar sent warriors to kill Grendel and one by one each died. Little did they know but, Grendel had a spell casted over him so that no sword made by man could harm him. Beowulf was called upon to defeat Grendel. In order to prove his strength and show that he is “who of all the men on earth was the strongest,” Beowulf makes a claim of glory that no man can match (Beowulf 80-81). When asked if he need anything to aid him in the fight Beowulf replied saying that he would fight the monster at night with no weapons. Beowulf won by ripping Grendel’s arm off with his bare hand, freeing the Danes from further torture . The next night, after celebrating Grendel's death, Horthgar and his men slept in Heorot. Grendel's mother was angered by her son’s death so she decides to attack the hall. She kills Hroogar's most trusted warrior, Eschere, in revenge for Grendel's death Hroogar, Beowulf and their men track Grendel's mother to her lair under a lake. As Beowulf gets ready for the battle Unferth gives Beowulf, his sword named Hrunting. Beowulf and Grendel’s mom clash in her territory under the swamp which is boiling hot water that no human can withstand but Beowulf is a hero. Little did Beowulf know but she had the same spell casted over her just like her son. So Beowulf is again saved from his opponent's attack by his armor. Beowulf grabs a magical sword from Grendel's mother's treasure, and with it beheads her. Travelling further into the lair, Beowulf discovers Grendel's dead body and cuts off its head. The blade of the magic sword melts like ice when it touches Grendel's toxic blood, until only the hilt is left. This hilt is the only treasure that Beowulf carries out of cavern, which he presents to Hroogar upon his return to Heorot. Beowulf then returns to the surface and to his men then they travel back to the hall. In Beowulf’s third and final battle he is faced against his biggest and strongest foe ever. Once again the odds are stacked against him by the dragon having a home field advantage. One day, fifty years after Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother, a slave steals a golden cup from the lair of a dragon. When the dragon sees that the cup has been stolen, it leaves its cave in a rage, burning everything in sight. Beowulf and his warriors come to fight the dragon, but Beowulf tells his men that he will fight the dragon alone but little did they know that this would be Beowulf’s last fight. Beowulf descends to do battle with the dragon but finds himself outmatched. One of his men, however, Wiglaf, who finds great distress in seeing Beowulf's distress and comes to Beowulf's aid. The two slay the dragon, but Beowulf dies in battle. Not only dose Beowulf die as a the strongest hero in Anglo- Saxon history but he also died as the king of the Danes. In this epic poem, a warrior is set out to defeat three monsters that are destroying a wonderful kingdom. The story of Beowulf has been passed down from generation to generation. This poem is an awesome example of good vs. evil. He was the strongest warrior of the Anglo-Saxons time period, he was the king of the Danes, he is Beowulf.
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