Beowulf Critics Analysis
In the essay "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics", the author, J. R. R. Tolkien explains how Beowulf is portrayed as a historical document, rather than that of a work of art as he argues. The main argument of his paper is that Beowulf is “poor in criticism” as this would affect the way the reader would interpret the text. Tolkien argues that many of the interpretations are incorrect as they make us analyze the text historically versus analyzing is from an artistic point of view. Tolkien’s essay ultimately argues that Beowulf’s main theme is the struggle of mankind and the eventual death on earth. Tolkien’s writing explains how the unknown author of Beowulf has intended the work to be an art as he explains “Beowulf is in fact so interesting
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Tolkien has states “for the universal significance which is given to the fortunes of its hero it is an enhancement and not a detraction, in fact it is necessary, that his final foe should be not some Swedish prince, or treacherous friend, but a dragon” (Tolkien 5). The poem of Beowulf would not be as dramatic without the creatures such a Grendel, Grendel’s mom or even the dragon. For this instance the author of Beowulf has introduced these characters to emphasize the story of a hero facing multiple forces of evil which is what makes this story universally understood rather than a story in which the hero faces another human. This may be reinforced with Tolkien’s thoughts when he writes “It is just because the main foes in Beowulf are inhuman that the story is larger and more significant than this imaginary poem of a great king's fall” (Tolkien 6). The monsters signify an evil which exists in our human roots and as hard as one may try to defeat the evil it always returns. Beowulf died trying to defeat evil yet the author is telling us that the evil will always be there as it is in our nature. Ultimately I believe that Tolkien should consider the possibility that author of the poem created the work as a historical art which may be interpreted in many ways dependent on the
Tolkien has states “for the universal significance which is given to the fortunes of its hero it is an enhancement and not a detraction, in fact it is necessary, that his final foe should be not some Swedish prince, or treacherous friend, but a dragon” (Tolkien 5). The poem of Beowulf would not be as dramatic without the creatures such a Grendel, Grendel’s mom or even the dragon. For this instance the author of Beowulf has introduced these characters to emphasize the story of a hero facing multiple forces of evil which is what makes this story universally understood rather than a story in which the hero faces another human. This may be reinforced with Tolkien’s thoughts when he writes “It is just because the main foes in Beowulf are inhuman that the story is larger and more significant than this imaginary poem of a great king's fall” (Tolkien 6). The monsters signify an evil which exists in our human roots and as hard as one may try to defeat the evil it always returns. Beowulf died trying to defeat evil yet the author is telling us that the evil will always be there as it is in our nature. Ultimately I believe that Tolkien should consider the possibility that author of the poem created the work as a historical art which may be interpreted in many ways dependent on the