During his battle with the monster, Beowulf pulls off his claw, arm and shoulder using his bare hands. ... Grendel escapes into his lair, eventually dieing from his battle wounds. ... There are, however, only scant references to the Old Testament in the poem and no whatsoever to the New Testament, Jesus, or any of the specifically Christian topics or symbols that predominate the thoughts of the early middle ages. ...

• Word Count: 913
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

The ancient values of Beowulf and his time coincide more with the precepts of the Old Testament (e.g. eye for an eye), than with the teachings of Christ within the New Testament. ... Fate is what is mentioned as the deciding factor in who shall emerge as victor in the battle between Beowulf and the dragon: I shall face the fiend with a firm heart/let every man's ruler reckon my fate ( 2227-2228). ... In fact the poet does this directly with Beowulf recalling of his surviving a battle with sea monsters in his youth: As God's beacon brightened the east,/I spied a cape across calming se...

• Word Count: 1090
• Approx Pages: 4

In this system, the king or feudal lord provides land, weapons, and a share of treasure to his warriors (called thanes or retainers) in return for their support of the leader in battle. ... When booty is seized from an enemy in battle, everything goes to the king. ... When Beowulf sets out to kill Grendel's mother he simply "donned his armor for battle, heeded not the danger". ... He gains his fame truthfully by doing battle with menaces to society. ... There is no mention of Jesus in Beowulf, and references to God seem based on the Old Testament rather than the New. ...

• Word Count: 3090
• Approx Pages: 12