How is the conflict between good and evil portrayed in beowulf Essay

How is the conflict between good and evil portrayed in beowulf - Essay Example Beowulf, the mythical epic hero, symbolizes the good and the righteous in the society. He is depicted as a selfless being that is willing to fight a monster and help the other members of the society overcome the forces of darkness. This is clearly seen when Beowulf travel miles to Danes, another country in order to help the King of the country and his subjects to fight against a monster known as Grendel who is ambushing and mauling the people. However, Beowulf died while fighting the monster dragon in an attempt to save the people from its evil and vengeance. By risking his own life, to protect humans from the evil monster, Beowulf symbolizes the Biblical Jesus, ‘the prince of goodness’, who died to save the oppressed (Hieatt 34). On the other hand, Grendel and his mother are the two main monsters representing evil in the society. The two monsters are depicted as the descendants of the biblical Cain who was cursed by God after he killed his brother Abel (line 121). Grendel was described vividly as a vicious monster that was an offspring of everything evil. He is the villain who ambushes and kills innocent people for fun. Grendel was on a daily basis struggle to destroy everything around him while Beowulf tried to do good all the time. Beowulf therefore is portrayed as God (good) and Grendel was Cain (evil). The poet actually based his work from the biblical creation story. Grendel symbolizes evil just like the biblical Cain who was shunned by God after he killed brother. Beowulf had the same feeling of hatred for Grendel. God totally refused to grant Grendel forgiveness but favored Beowulf pride at the expense of Grendel’s sins. In the battle, God granted Beowulf overwhelming victory. The ruler of heaven and earth thus brought about a right issue when once more he stood up victorious and with ease. Throughout this poem the Christian symbolizes the element of good and evil as well as heaven and