The Portrayl of Religion in Beowulf Essays - 814 Words

In the story Beowulf, there are a few different religions that are represented by the author. All the religions are portrayed in the story through the author’s eyes and his beliefs. The author makes clear what religion he believes in and his views. Some instances in the story also relate to the conflict between Christianity and the code of warriors. Throughout the story, the author is faced with the challenge of trying to portray his beliefs with a character whose actions are in conflict with his beliefs. Beowulf, in this story is based on the total opposite of the author’s beliefs and there are instances when his behavior is shown, and after there is symbolism of Christianity, to show its conflict with his behavior. In this story, the†¦show more content†¦Even though the characters in the story mostly act unlike a normal Christian, the author makes sure to still make references to God and religion. When Beowulf and his crew arrived at Heorot, â€Å"they thank ed God for that easy crossing on a calm sea† (17). This proves that Beowulf believed in God no matter what he acted liked or how he behaved. After this, the author makes another God reference when Hrothgar says that the â€Å"Holy God has, in His goodness, guided him here to the West-Danes, to defend us from Grendel† (27). Hrothgar is saying that God has been god to Heorot and brought them Beowulf to defend them from an attack from Grendel. Another religion that conflicts with the author is the code of warriors that Beowulf and all other warriors abide by. The basic rules of the code is that a person receives honor in life by doing good things which is different from Christianity, which states that a person’s good deeds and glory is honored in the afterlife. Also, the warrior code encourages retaliation because it is better to retaliate then mourn. Christianity favors mourning and being peaceful and forgiving to your enemies. The Pagan religion is mostly like th e warrior code of laws. It is almost the opposite of Christianity but it relates in the way that it is revolved around God. The warrior code represents what Beowulf stands for and what he does for his people and Heorot. This code helps him defeat