Good and evil will exist as time passes by. Heroes defend the respectable, as villains bend upon destruction. The story of Beowulf, written by an unknown Christian monk, represents these qualities in two of the main characters of the story. The epic tells the story of a hero, a prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel's mother and a Dragon.
Beowulf, as a conquering hero, destroys all the monsters in the sea as well as the giants. He has done this for fame and glory and to protect the people threatened by these foul creatures. He is a killing addict that is constantly on a quest for a new fix. He must do this to achieve his ultimate goal, what is to be famous. He wants the scops to sing about him. He wants to be known by everyone in the world. This is his only purpose in life. .
The theme of good vs. evil that is present in the story of Beowulf, has become the classic foundation of many modern stories today. Beowulf and Grendel represent the ultimate struggle of good and evil. Grendel tries to destroy everything around him. To Beowulf, this is another conquest. It allows him to do yet another good deed that people will talk about. .
Beowulf represents God and Grendel represents Satan. The struggle between God and Satan has existed throughout time. Beowulf is all that is good, moral, and ethical. He lives by the rules of God. Grendel denounces those rules to live by his own. Thinking only of that which gives him pleasure, he attempts to destroy everything good and kind. Beowulf is like a parent and Grendel is like a child whom he chastises.
The characters of Beowulf and Grendel are represented in stories throughout history. The stories represent the classic struggle of good and evil. There will always be the hero looking for fame and glory, and there will always be a monster that, acting like an overgrown child, throws a temper tantrum insisting on having everything his way and destroys everything that opposes him.