Shorter Essay
Beowulf
ENGL 2010
Religion has been of importance since the beginning of time. Civilizations have been
founded on it, lives have been changed by it, and many books have been written about it.
Beowulf is an epic poem that focuses on 2 main religions, Christianity, and Paganism. These two
religions historically do not mix well. In the Bible it talks about destroying pagan statues and
serving one God. While paganism talks about the worship of many gods and teaches about self
righteousness. Though these two religions despise each other, the main theme behind them is the
battle between good and evil, which is what Beowulf is also about.
Pagan themes can be found throughout the story, influencing many plot lines. The main
character having to fight monsters while having unnatural strength, that can only be obtained
through something like magic, makes for a very Pagan-like story. One character that has
Pagan-like elements is Grendel. In the poem Grendel is described as almost demonic, the story
describes him as being cursed by God. “God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping. The bane of
the race of men roamed forth, hunting for a prey in the high hall”. The story mentions “wyrd”
which in today's day and age is called “destiny” or “fate”. This is not a Christian outlook on life
due to the belief that everything is already planned and that whatever happens happens.. It was
believed that your wyrd can be manipulated through acts of bravery and loyalty such as
comitatus, which can explain why some soldiers would want to put their lives on the line for
someone higher in command. Sure they may have been brave and courageous, but something
tells me that some were trying to change their wyrd to benefit themselves.
Christianity plays a vital role in many characters and conflicts throughout the story. The
basis of Christianity is that all have fallen short of the price it takes to have eternal life with God.
Many try to make it to heaven by doing their own good deeds, which is similar to the concept of
wyrd. The only way to receive this eternal life is: to believe in God, accept that He sent His son
to die on the cross for our sins, and repent from your sins. Contrary to the Pagan beliefs,
Christians believe there is only one true God. Trusting in God is a huge part of Christianity, in
the epic Beowulf acknowledges his trust by saying "The fight would have ended straightaway if
God had not guarded me". Instead of relying on fate to decide for him, he trusted that God would
deliver him from the battle. In the Bible the overarching theme is Jesus Christ fighting against
Satan to restore the world to its intended state of peace and love for God, the poem is a metaphor
for this conflict. Beowulf can be perceived as a Christ-like figure who puts his trust in the Lord
and fights against evil. While Grendel and the dragon would be the symbolism for Satan and the
evil in the world. Beowulf dying for his people and making the ultimate sacrifice is
representative of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Grendell is called “One of Cain’s Clan”,
which refers to the selfish man named Cain, who in the Bible, killed his brother Abel because he
knew that God favored his brother's sacrifice more than his own.
In conclusion, bothe themes are very prevalent throughout the story and each play their
important role in storytelling. My favorite connection that I have made through this story is that
Beowulf can be interpreted as a metaphor for many parts of the Bible. Beowulf is very rich in
history and gives us an insight of the peoples beliefs of those times. The incorporation of two
contrasting beliefs into one story is very impressive and attention grabbing. Beowulf truly is an
inspiring tale of good versus evil and can be interpreted in many ways.