Evilness and Heroism

              In Beowulf, heroism is an important theme that runs throughout the entire poem. I think heroism is manifested in various aspects here. First, heroism is manifested through a person’s honorable behavior or loyalty. For example, Wiglaf the warrior jumped out to help Beowulf when other comrades all escaped from the threat of death. Only he remembered the oath he made to Beowulf to be present when Beowulf is facing hardships. This characteristic is considered heroic in the era. I think heroism is also conveyed through Beowulf’s selfless spirit and courageous behavior. For instance, in the battle with the monster that guarded the treasures, Beowulf was facing a situation in which he knew he was most likely to lose. Despite that, he still forces himself to fight and devotes his life to killing this monster that terrorizes his people. At the end of his life, he mentioned that he is pleased that he traded his life well for valuable treasures that can bring wealth to his people. This demonstrates how Beowulf values his people’s life more than his own. I think the fact that he calmly accepts the fact that fate decides whether he lives is also a hint of heroism.

                Evilness in Beowulf is a characteristic that contradicts with heroism. Evilness is generally demonstrated in the poem by all the actions done by the monsters, such as killing people and eating them on the spot.  Evilness is first manifested in the poem through jealousy. Grendel attacked Herot because he saw how people were joyful in the mead hall. He became impatient and jealousy motivated him to do evil actions. Another aspect of evilness is portrayed through the thought of retaliation. After Grendel is dead, he mother decided to revenge for his son. These acts are considered evil because in the end, monsters that have done these deeds are all defeated. From the monsters’ failures we can see that these acts are evil deeds that won’t result in a good ending.