Beowolf And Grendel Essay, Research Paper

Apart from Wealth, Honor, and Paganistic vs. Biblical themes and motifs,

character is also shown through a certain Man vs. Wild motif. This motif shows

the difference between mankind?s ways (good), and evil?s wild nature (evil).

Grendel for one, is totally wild and is therefore shown as evil. His wild home,

?Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell

not hell but earth.? shows his wild, untamed, and therefor evil nature.

Grendel?s wilderness is countered in mankind?s ways, especially Beowulf?s.

Beowulf is tame and civilized, the epitomy of goodness and purity. Beowulf

doesn?t fight evil in a wild manner, rather, as shown in his first battle with

Grendel. First off, Beowulf is pure and shows this before his battle when he

removes his armor and vows not to use a weapon to defeat Grendel. Defeating

Grendel, he shows that man, without armor and weapons, can defeat evil in any

form including that of his foe Grendel. This deed serves throughout the epic

serves as a symbol of Beowulf?s Goodness.