Since time immemorial, human consciousness has been deeply influenced and disturbed by the primal battle of good versus evil. The human mind has resorted to various genres and forms to narrate, symbolize and transmit the battle of the forces of good and evil. It is understood that almost all extinct or extant cultures and civilizations have their creation stories against the backdrop of which the battles of light against darkness are fought. Literature, being an outstanding form of human expression, has always been concerned with this exciting subject. Writers in English literature have used various methods to symbolize the fundamental concerns of the human intellect and its fundamental realities.
In this context, Beowulf, which stands out in the world of literature as one of the first works in Old English verse, explores the protagonist’s virtue and heroism from two different dimensions and tends to be a symbolic representation of the struggle of good. contra el evil, in which the poet successfully uses a variety of literary and thematic devices to turn the work into a staggeringly illustrative piece, extremely fascinating and, at times, intimidating at the same time. In the first part of the story, the Beowulf the reader sees is a free-spirited man, and in the second part, he matures into a man of wisdom and courage. In fact, the emphasis of the story [Line 25: “Behaviour that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.”] it’s based more on virtue than courage and that adds a human touch without which Beowulf would still be a hero, but just an ordinary hero.
For a literary work to present the battles waged between good and evil effectively, it is imperative to have a hero who is not only goodness incarnate, but also a larger-than-life character, who has the necessary strength, character. and courage to be able to defend the forces of good. It is even more so in the Germanic storytelling tradition, and in that sense Beowulf is an exemplification of a perfect hero in every sense of the word. Although Beowulf is presented to readers in his encounters with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, essentially as a formidable fighter, he is also endowed with immense character and virtue, in addition to his tremendous ability as a cunning warrior, to keep fighting. for the cause of the people to whom he owes his loyalty. History is replete with instances and incidents that glorify Beowulf’s courage and ferocity, typical of a great warrior.
Repeatedly, Beowulf is shown to challenge the sea monsters, the embodiments of evil and filth, and emerge victorious against them. The other notable trait attributed to the character of Beowulf is that he is a firm believer in the principle of fair fighting and never resorts to cunning or trickery to overpower the enemy. It is not just winning that matters, but winning without losing grace that really matters. [“Let whoever can win glory before death” (Lines 1387-88)]. The real value of the plot of Beowulf lies in the moral implications it has for the reader and not in the adventurous struggles that seem to constitute it as exemplified by Hrothgar’s exhortation. He points out the danger of getting carried away with success, which makes success unsustainable. [O flower of warriors, beware of that trap” (Line 1758)].
Another essential trait for a superhero to be and appear viable is to be endowed with abundant brute force that is capable of subduing evil. Beowulf deftly fits into this ancient mold of combining strength and courage, which remains a timeless parameter of heroism in literature.
