Resources

"The Necessity of Evil in Beowulf": Talks about the dragon, its back story, and the symbolism of its treasure trove: worldly things and success are not permanent. The sword on the wall of the [redacted for spoilers] cave shows God's judgement on the race of Cain. Grendel is evil; he serves to punish and correct Hrothgar's complacency as king. Poet uses spoilers to show inevitability or fate playing a role in human life.

"God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf" : Deals with the relationship between pagan and Christian ideas, specifically fate (wyrd) vs. the will of God. Includes some comments on the hero's purpose. [Note: he finally starts getting to the point at the bottom of pg. 2]

"Grendel the Terrible" : Talks about the poetic form of Beowulf, the combination of Christian and pagan ideas in the monster Grendel. Clarifies different translations of important words, mostly referring to Grendel and his lineage from Cain, and his actions invading the hall. [Note: the first page or two of this source is very difficult to understand, but it gets easier and more accessible after that. Feel free to skip ahead.]

"De monstro: An anatomy of Grendel" : Defines the term monster, and explains how Grendel is one. Explains possible interpretations of Grendel: as a wild animal, a mythological creature, a Christian symbol. Deals with the crossover between man and monster in the fight between Beowulf and Grendel. [Note: start with page 4. This is a doctoral dissertation, and it takes the author a while to arrive at his thesis.]

Heroic Identity in the World of Beowulf: Addresses different possible interpretations of Beowulf's character, choices, virtues, and vices, and argues that all of those interpretations are supposed to coexist side by side. Presents possible dates for the poem, and the extent to which the audience's views (pagan, Christian, etc.) play a role. Examines how the Christian and the pagan overlap and interact, and the role of "dramatic irony," or the audience knowing things the characters don't know. Examines Christian and secular (nonreligious; in this context, pagan or Germanic) values appear in Beowulf. [Note: begin with the Introduction. There's a difficult section in the middle where the language becomes really difficult to understand-- it does get better again a little later on, so feel free to skip ahead. If you're specifically interested in the character of Beowulf, check out the section called "Two Beowulfs."]

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