Beowulf- Essential 2

Discuss biblical allusions and religious symbolism in Beowulf.

There are countless biblical implications in this portion of the text. First off, Hrothgar seems to regard Beowulf as God, or at least the son of God, for he often praises the Lord for bringing him such a warrior: "the old king [...] poured out his gratitude to God Almighty for the Geat's words" (1383-1384). This God-given fighter brought peace to the Danes, and resembles an angel who destroys the evil of Grendel and his mother. Since the story tries to convey a message to follow God, the author tries to show how faith in God is auspicious. Beowulf continually refers to having courage, which can be translated into having faith in God. Faith, as we can see, has helped Beowulf thus far.

Since Beowulf is God-given, it seems his fate is predestined: "had not holy God granted him victory; the wise Lord, Ruler of the Heavens, settled the issue" (1537-1539). He even says the battle against Grendel's mother may have been lost "if God had not guarded [him]" (1640). There is also a somewhat divine encounter when a light shines upon Grendel's corpse. This symbolizes how good wins over evil, God over the Devil. There is also the scene when the giant sword melts from Grendel's mother's blood. There is an ambiguous pronoun use that may be intended to foreshadow Beowulf's deification: "He is the true Lord" (1594). The author also mentions about the end of the giant race to instill fear of God: "they were opposed to the Eternal Lord, and their reward was the downpour and the flood" (1675-1676). Lastly, Hrothgar warns of the corruption with power as Beowulf continues on his deification process and realizes his strengths: "always swallow pride" (1743). Beowulf is similar to Jesus fending off the Devil's temptations.