Beowulf

The Rage In Revenge

By Shayne Parker

An appalling human trait is revenge. Even though this trait is so horrible, everyone does it. They pursue this horrible action of revenge and never let go of what troubles them until they commit the same scandalous action as others have done to them. Never learning from the time before that revenge is not worthwhile. In the poem “Beowulf”, the author suggests revenge is not fulfilling because it is a natural impulse that causes recklessness and rage which people need to resist.

Grendel, The vicious being from the first chapter in “Beowulf”, let his lust for revenge take over. He was a powerful monster and he waited until night to savagely exterminate hundreds of Danes only because he felt wronged. He was treated grimly by anything that saw him. “Ah, the unfairness of everything.” (Gardner 8) Grendel didn't want to be like he was, he was born into it. Grendel killed the Danes because it was the only thing he knew. He was a violent abomination and because he sought revenge on the Danes he brought his death upon himself. Grendel's mother lost her son because of Beowulf who took his arm from him and hung it above the rafters. She wanted revenge on Beowulf, the killer of her child. The She-Wolf went and took the arm back, killing a Dane in the process. Beowulf punished Grendel’s mother by chopping her through the neck with her own sword and taking back what was rightfully his, Grendel’s head. The She-Wolf was reckless and cost herself her own life because she let rage take over. It’s her own fault that he died in the first place, if they weren’t such monsters and killers, they would not be bothered. They were savages and they needed to be shown the error of their ways. Beowulf was unsuccessful in showing them because he was not a hero he only wanted fame and fortune.

Beowulf and the Danes both could not resist taking revenge on Grendel. They could have left the area and sought new land to live on, but instead... [continues]

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