Beowulf Essay

       Beowulf  has, for centuries, been accepted as the story of a valiant hero who slain three monsters. In doing so, Beowulf saves the lives of the Geats and becomes king. However compelling the story of Beowulf's success may be, told from a feminist perspective, it would be a tragedy. Very little is told of the monster Grendel or of his mother--and what of Beowulf himself? Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain, who murdered his brother Abel, so Grendel is exiled and lives in misery by himself. The love of a "beast" mother for her son drove her to avenge his death. And the dragon, who was also wronged, killed for his treasure that drove Beowulf's greed. Beowulf may not truly be the gallant figure that all but eludes death.
        Grendel lives underneath the great hall and can hear all of the festivities that take place there. He feels angry that he should be condemned to live all by himself, miserable while everyone else is happy. Truthfully, he did nothing to deserve it. He is not a heartless beast, he does feel emotion. He is being punished for the crime of his ancestor, which is as unfair as it is cruel. It is only natural that someone kept away from others never to enjoy the joyful music or the kind words of others would feel as though they need to seek out revenge. While Grendel does not do the right thing by killing people, being treated wretchedly his whole life contributed to his actions. There is no one to talk to him about how he feels; he is an intelligent beast, and being treated better or at least being able to see his mother might have avoided his murderous rampage.
         During Grendel's fight with Beowulf, which he ultimately loses, Grendel knows he has lost when his claws are tied together. No longer a powerful monster, he resigns himself to the fact that he is going to die, and he does not try to fight it. After his suffering a brutal death, Grendel's mother goes to the great hall to get her revenge. A mother losing her son is a catastrophe for anyone, and beasts are no exception. Not being able to see her son would have caused pain enough for any mother, on top of being exiled and living in a swamp. Now, Grendel's mother does not kill the man who killed her son--which may have been justified--but instead kills some innocent bystander. Blinded by both rage and sadness, Grendel's mother commits the same act as that of whom she is descended from. For this, she pays with her life at the hands of the very man that caused her the pain she felt before committing murder.
       Beowulf is portrayed as the hero that everyone wants to be: strong, courageous, with only good intentions. However, his actions throughout the story speak otherwise. He is, in fact, rather greedy and full of himself, hanging up Grendel's severed arm from the rafters in the great hall as a trophy. After defeating Grendel's mother, he beheads Grendel's dead body and takes the head as a thing to be shown off, as well. At the end of his life, Beowulf instructs Wiglaf to show him the treasure for which he is going to die, then tells Wiglaf to build him a barrow and name it after him. While Beowulf's actions during life were indeed brave, whether they were for the right reason or not is debatable. He saved the lives of many Geats after killing Grendel, but did he do it for the purpose of saving lives or to win personal glory and immortality? The same question can be posed for the death of the dragon. Beowulf shows signs that he is not the great man he is always thought to be. Perhaps the dragon did not need to die--had his goblet been returned, he may have been satisfied enough to leave the people alone. Beowulf's pride ultimately leads to his death; he would not amass a large army against the dragon as he remembered how he defeated Grendel, alone, when he was younger.
       The epic of Beowulf is not nearly as simple as one lone hero defeating malicious monsters; there are many ways to look at the characters, all of whom are complex. The traditional view of the "hero" is one of a role model for those hearing the story for the first time. Despite the admirable qualities that he seems to possess, there are also less desirable characteristics that should be taken into consideration, as well as the reasons behind the actions of the villains. From a less masculine perspective, the characters morph completely into misunderstood beings that are not completely given a fair trail in life. Beowulf  will forever be seen as it always has been, that of a hero that saves a slew of people. But it is truly so much more than that, one just has to dig a little deeper and approach it at a different angle than everyone else.