The story of Beowulf shows the effects of the spread of Christianity in early Danish pagan society which valued heroic deeds and courage above all else. The mythical creatures that Beowulf slays with his supernatural strength transform the story into an epic that celebrates the life of a great hero. However, mixed in with Beowulf's triumphs against the three key creatures, we also see Christian virtues instilled in the listeners. The good qualities of loyalty, humility, sacrifice for the good of others, and sympathy for the less fortunate are seen intertwined in the text as are the negative consequences of greed and pride. The characters of Grendel, his mother and the dragon are tools used by the author to teach values, but also to rejoice in Beowulf's legendary success. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The menacing character of Grendel is presented as horrible, but his humanistic side is also shown. As a result, the character of Grendel further helps the Christian influence on the book and paints Beowulf as a magnificent hero. Grendel is first described as "the creature of evil, dark and fierce, who was quickly ready, wild and cruel, and seized by the first thirty thanes". (Tuso, 3) Beowulf can be interpreted as a heroic epic when Grendel is seen as a ravenous monster because it makes Beowulf appear even more spectacular for defeating the hideous monster. However, there is also a strong Christian influence because Grendel is a descendant of Cain and therefore is rejected by God and must live in suffering. When Grendel appears, he "wears the wrath of God", which is the opposite of the thanes who celebrate the grace of God in their victories in the Heorot hall. (Tuso, 13) The reader feels pity for Grendel when he realizes that he hates Heorot because she is all he lacks. Grendel is even described as an "unhappy creature" while the thanes are regarded as living "in joy and bliss". (Tuso, 3) Heorot is a symbol of the thanes' victory and is the place where they are cheerful, happy, sociable and even play music, which particularly annoys Grendel. Grendel's jealousy and pain from being an outcast explain his violent reaction to the thanes. They are very human emotions and it seems that one of the first Christian values ​​is instilled here; sympathy for the less fortunate. Later, when Grendel retreats to his lair to die, we see his weakness and his human side again. Grendel is forced to flee because Beowulf fatally tears off his claw. The claw is a direct symbol of Beowulf's strength as it is from his hand to claw-fight Grendel. "The horrible monster had lived to feel pain in his body, a huge wound in his shoulder had been exposed, his tendons had snapped, his bones had broken. Glory in battle was given to Beowulf." (Tuso, 15) Beowulf is depicted as the great hero who achieves victory over a supernatural being, Grendel. This story of the underdog is similar to the Old Testament story of David triumphing over the giant Goliath. When the claw is hung in Heorot, Beowulf's courage is celebrated and it is obvious that this quality is highly respected among the thanes. However, the claw has a different meaning to Grendel's mother who sees it as an extreme sign of disrespect towards her dead. son and is enraged that he was hung for all to see as a trophy. The mother's anger and grief are another human emotion, which ultimately leads her to revenge on the thanes when she raids the hall to regain the claw. She is even described as having the “war terror of onewife" who associates her with humans instead of monsters. (Tuso, 23) This makes the reader feel a certain sympathy, Christian value towards her, even if she beheads one of the favored thanes. However, she is later considered a "sea dog" when Beowulf bravely pursues herthe reader can again celebrate Beowulf's courage. Beowulf's character can be read as haughty and his actions interpreted as purely selfish in pursuit of glory and fame, but his courage can also be read. be read as the ultimate sacrifice. Another Christian virtue is self-sacrifice for the sake of others. Beowulf risks his life when he fights hand-to-hand with Grendel and later dives alone into the dangerous pool bottom of the swamp is symbolically similar to a journey to hell. He travels down and along the way "many monsters have attacked him in the water, many sea beasts have torn his mail with war fangs, strange creatures have him afflicted." (Tuso, 27) These could be symbols of the types of creatures one might encounter through the passages to hell and Grendel's mother's lair is where the devil resides, or perhaps a reincarnation of the devil resides. Beowulf kills Grendel's mother even though the odds are against him as he is not in his own territory. Once again, here we see the theme of the lesser, of the good triumphing over the evil. Perhaps God's intervention occurs when Beowulf is in the lair when "a bright blaze, a light shines within just as from heaven the candle of heaven shines clear" appears to Beowulf as Grendel's mother falls dead. (Tuso, 28) However, the pagan influence is also seen in this passage when the sword used by Beowulf is examined. Giants, supernatural beings, built the sword and its hilt is "twisted and adorned with serpents". (Tuso, 30) It is likely that pagans worshiped animals as gods, so these animal symbols had special meaning for early Danish society. What is ironic about the sword is that its story tells of the last remaining giants who were eventually killed by humans, but now it saves the life of a human who is killing perhaps the last orc. It seems like he should have helped his mother, not Beowulf. The characters of Grendel's mother and the dragon help the author express another important virtue; loyalty. For example, when Beowulf is on the plain, after nine hours Hrothgar's men surrender to Beowulf, but his men remain steadfast even though they are "sick at heart." (Tuso, 28) Later, loyalty is seen again when all of Beowulf's men flee except Wiglaf during the battle with the dragon. Although he is afraid, he also understands self-sacrifice and loyalty, so he willingly risks his life to save Beowulf's. After the other men "crept into the woods, protected their lives," Wiglaf was left with a "heart swollen with sorrow: nothing can ever set aside kinship in him who means well." (Tuso, 44) This strong Christian value is rewarded in the end when Beowulf chooses Wiglaf as his successor. In addition to rewards, punishments are also given for those who make mistakes. For example, greed is considered a punishable sin. Beowulf resists greed when he chooses to bring back Grendel's head instead of the hordes of treasure. This action can also be interpreted as seeking fame and his action adds epic quality to the poem as "four of them had difficulty carrying Grendel's head on spear shafts into the golden hall" even though Beowulf, alone, he swam with his head to the top of the mere. (Tuso, 29) But his action shows that he knows he already has a significant amount of money and understands that money is only a good.