Test Essay

In the story “Beowulf” there are many characteristics that make this story a fundamental epic. Some of those characteristics are character, situational, and symbolic archetypes.
For example a character archetype that appears in Beowulf is The Monster of Nightmare. “Grendel snatched at the first Geats / He came to, ripped him apart, cut / His body to bits with powerful jaws, / Drank the blood from his veins and bolted / Him down, hands and feet […]” (Beo 262-266). This quote describes this archetype, it describes a monster called Grendel that threatens lives and that is extremely evil. Therefore Grendel is a great example for The Monster of Nightmare.
Furthermore Loyal Retainers is another character archetype that appears in Beowulf. “None of his comrades / Came to him, helped him, his brave and noble / Followers; they ran for their lives, fled / Deep in a wood. And only one of them / Remained, stood there, miserable, remembering, / as a good man must, what kinship should mean. / His name was Wiglaf […]” (Beo 268-275). Wiglaf like the quote says, is the only one that is brave enough to stay and help Beowulf while fighting the dragon. In other words he is a great example of a Loyal Retainer because he is somewhat of a hero for trying to save Beowulf.
Also another example is Battle Between Good and Evil, this is a situational archetype that contains the story of Beowulf. “Then he stepped to another / Still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws, / Grasped at a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper / ---And was instantly seized himself, claws / Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm. / That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, / knew at once that nowhere on earth, / Had he met a man whose hands were harder; […]” (Beo 268-275). This quote describes a part of the battle between Grendel and Beowulf. This battle is definitely a battle between good and evil. Thus this describes very well this archetype of Battle Between Good and Evil, obviously Grendel would be the evil...