Macbeth and Beowulf: Evil Defined By Human Preoccupation


For centuries evil was defined by human preoccupation, and it was often
indicated in the English literature. From Beowulf to Macbeth, people's
perception on the nature of evil had matured and became more complex.
In Beowulf's period, evil was simply defined based on outer appearances and
actions. The author of Beowulf described the evil Grendel as a fearsome monster:
"He(with sharp claws)…snatched up thirty men, smashed them." For the same
reason, Grendel's mother was also considered evil although she merely wanted to
revenge her son. The last evil character in the story was the Dragon. He
killed the Geats and burned their homes with his breath of fire. Monster and
evil certainly had the same meaning in the Pre-Christian time.
As Christian was introduced, a new definition of evil that concentrated on
human values and thoughts had emerged. The Christian believed that the seven
deadly sins were the......

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Title: Macbeth And Beowulf: Evil Defined By Human Preoccupation
Approximate Word Count: 514
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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