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Tenets of Anglo-Saxon Philosophy in Beowulf


            Beowulf is an epic Anglo-Saxon legend that reveals a great deal about what the Anglo-Saxon people believed and valued. One of the most obvious ways an epic tells about the society that wrote it is through the epic hero. The epic hero is the central character in the story that reflects the traits, characteristics, or values that the civilization hold in high esteem. However, the epic hero is not the only way that the tenets of a society are reflected in a story. Clues about the civilization's values can also be found in the general plot and outcome of the tale. Three tenets of Anglo-Saxon philosophy that are found in Beowulf are: a vision of evil in the world, a belief in the power of fate, and a resignation to the certainty of death.
             The story of Beowulf vividly portrays the forces of evil in the world. The theme of evil in the world is especially evident in the description of Grendel, the monster. Grendel is said to be a savage beast, who returns with "blood dripping behind him, back / To his lair, delighted with his night's slaughter" (lines 39-40). Grendel terrorizes the people of the land, ripping men apart with his brute strength. He is a cold, merciless beast who is completely devoid of compassion for others. Grendel's evil nature is explained by the absence of God in his life: " He [Beowulf] never / Dared to touch king Hrothgar's glorious / Throne, protected by God - God, / Whose love Grendel could not know." (lines 82-85). Finally, the Anglo-Saxons tell of how Grendel was conceived from the evil creatures that had come before him: "Shut away from men; they split into a thousand forms of evil - spirits / And fiends, goblins, monsters, giants, / A brood forever opposing the Lord's / Will" (lines 25-30). The prevalence of evil in the world is a basic principle of Anglo-Saxon thought that is visible throughout Beowulf.
             Another ideal of the Anglo-Saxon people present in Beowulf is a belief in the power of fate.


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