The Monsters in Beowulf
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The poem Beowulf, believed to be written between 650 and 800 by a group of monks, contains several complex characters that have sparked discussions throughout the years. Scholars still continue to ponder over the unanswered questions about characters, such as whether Grendel is monster or human, whether Grendel is evil or not, and what the monsters in Beowulf signify. Other important, though less accepted questions include whether Beowulf is really a hero, or is in actuality a monster, and what allows the characters to be classified as either evil, or not evil. Because both sides of these arguments can be sufficiently supported with textual evidence, it is the readers responsibility to defend an appropriate answer. There are no possible arguments critics could make to prove the dragon in Beowulf is not a monster that represents the evil in money. Also, it is generally accepted that Grendel is a monster that represents the evil of the Danes society, for few critics argue this fact. However, because it is generally accepted that Beowulf is a hero, no critics argue that the he is actually a monster that represents the evil in pride.
The most undisputed monster of the poem is the “slick- skinned” dragon “with streamers of fire” (Beowulf 155) that appears at the end of the poem, and eventually kills Beowulf. There is no possible argument one could make that the dragon is not a monster. However, the dragon is still important to the poem, and it still presents an important form of evil. The dragon is the representation of the evil of money in the story, or in other words the greed gold causes. The dragon ” guarded a hoard” (Beowulf 151), and Beowulf died in an effort to kill the dragon and take the gold he so jealously guarded. Because of Beowulfs and the dragons need for the money, they put their lives on the line, and ultimately die for the money. Which is ironic, for when they are both dying the money is brought out, and it is corroded and worthless, which symbolizes the worthlessness of all money. This theme is previously presented by the man who buries the treasure in the first place, realizing that the money is no good without people to use it. This is possibly foreshadowing the fact that now that Beowulf is dead his people will die as a result of the invasions they face. This proves that the money was not worth fighting and dying for, because money is worthless when no one is alive to use it. As has been presented, the dragon reveals the evil in money, and the tragedies it can cause.
There is enough textual evidence provided in the poem of Beowulf for the reader to assume that Grendel is a monster, which few critics argue. As a means of backing this up, the reader can point out direct statements in the poem, for example, several times Grendel is called “… a fiend out of hell,” who is trying to “… work his evil in the world” (Beowulf 9), and a “… God- cursed brute…” (Beowulf 49). One can also utilize the direct descriptions of Grendel, for he is described as being strong enough to “… grab thirty men from their resting places and rush to his lair…” (Beowulf 11), which is hardly humanlike. Along with these direct statements that Grendel is a monster, there are several facts that are not directly stated, however, they are essential to Grendels classification.
There are several indirect statements in the poem that help to classify Grendel as a monster. For example, there is much depravation in Grendels life that separates him from the other human beings of that time period. Such as the fact that Grendel is a loner, banished from society, which shows that Grendel has no human communications, which is doubtlessly not a humanlike characteristic. Grendel also has no father, but instead has only a mother, which is bizarre because many of the other characters introduce themselves as “son of ____”, and indeed, despite the fact that Beowulfs father is dead, he is often referred to as, “… Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow…” (Beowulf 137). Also, Grendels murder practices can hardly be considered humanlike as “…he struck suddenly and started in; he grabbed and mauled a man on his bench, bit into his bone- lappings, bolted down his blood and gorged on him in lumps, leaving his body utterly lifeless, eaten up hand and foot (Beowulf 51). It is not humanly possible for one man, no matter how big he is, to grab another man and devour him as if he were but the size of a rat. Additionally, Grendels manner of killing men, being that he walks up to men while they are sleeping, and eats them, involves no weapons, which is uncharacteristic of the men of this time. For other men had respect for their weapons, indeed Beowulf even goes as far as to name his sword. All of Grendels abnormal characteristics lead the readers to believe that Grendel can not possible be human, because of his differences in appearance, his etiquette of mind, and living habits, therefore the only way to classify him is a monster.
With the establishment of Grendel being a monster, one must realize that he is also representative of a type of evil, which is the evil in the Danes society. This evil is the Danes demand for perfection and codes of heroism in all their men, and if someone does not meet up to their standards they simply disregard them of being worthy of their society. For Grendel was indeed a monster in size and appearance, but there is no evidence of evil performed by Grendel that would lead to his banishment, besides his misfortune of being born a descendant of Cain. It seems as if this evil of the Danes society was transferred into characters, and Grendel, and his mother, emerged from this. For after Grendel is killed by Beowulf, the atmosphere is still that of evil, despite the fact that Grendel is dead, and this evil is revealed when Grendels mother attacks the castle as a means of revenge for her sons murder. And only when Grendels mother is killed does this evil atmosphere leave, this is represented by the fact that immediately after Grendels mother died “A light appeared and the place brightened…” (Beowulf 109). This appearing light is representative of the evil leaving the society, perhaps as the Danes realize, and eliminate the evil themselves. Although the evidence