Beowulf in the Epic Poem Term Paper

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And all that would remain would be their brothers to mourn them, inconsolable.

The anxiety expressed by this poem is acutely felt and accurately represents the norms of the era. During this era, if someone was killed by someone else, the family of the slain person would have to kill the murderers in order to avenge the death of their beloved. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the poem goes exactly along this route. However, by doing so it again expresses both the anxiety of the era and the dichotomous views of good and evil. For Grendel's mother comes to avenge his death and she is described as "Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded,/Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters…His mother moreover/Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on/Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance/for the death of her son." In this instance, one can see that the anxiety and fear has perhaps even been intensified to a higher degree because Grendel's mother is described as one who is not simply thirsty for blood and destruction as her son was, but is someone who is almost completely otherworldly: she is demonic and devilish.

Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother still reflects the stark dichotomous thinking of the ear towards good and evil. The two struggle. Just when all looks bleak for Beowulf: God arranges for his escape. "And had God most holy not awarded the victory,/All-knowing Lord; easily did heaven's/Ruler most righteous arrange it with justice; / Uprose he erect ready for battle." This is a clear instance of good winning (if only temporarily, in this instance) over evil because of the benevolent help of a higher power. In this poem, good triumphs over evil because this was the thought construct of the day, perhaps even stronger than that belief is today.

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Beowulf eventually slays Grendel's mother because fundamentally, that was the only sequence of events that was fathomable -- the alternative would be too much to bear.

However, it is the appearance of the dragon in this text which is the fullest representation of the anxiety of the era, because the dragon is so fully inhuman and so incredibly formidable and destructive (he breathes fire) that the stark contrast between good and evil and the value system of the day becomes even more apparent. In fact the dragon is so formidable that a special iron shield needs to be made for Beowulf; no other beast had required such protection. The death of Beowulf at the hand of the dragon, is perhaps the moment of the text which demonstrates the highest degree of anxiety of all: it demonstrates that even the brave and heroic can be defeated by pure evil. More than anything, the cautionary tale at the end of Beowulf is another representation of this palpable anxiety: being cowardly cost the men their hero, and only teamwork can defeat a great evil.

Thus, much can be illuminated from the epic poem Beowulf regarding the anxieties of the Anglo-Saxon era. The mythical beasts and monsters which consistently appear throughout the text demonstrate the fears for survival and safety that the people of this period faced on a daily basis. The black and white concepts of good and evil and the necessity of good triumphing over evil are also representative of the overly simplistic notions of good/evil and right/wrong of the era.

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