In short, the principle at work in Beowulf is the fleeting
nature of life here on earth versus the eternal nature of the hereafter. Consider that
in his battle with Grendel, Beowulf fights with neither sword nor armor and is totally
successful. Another theme this fight illustrates is that courage and faith are true
paths to victory, while cowardice leads to destruction. One of the better translations
refers to a great wound “opening” in Grendel's arm as he tries to flee. It is not so
much that Beowulf is tearing the arm off, but rather that Beowulf is holding Grendel and
his own cowardice leads to the injury that kills him.
Next,
consider the fight with Grendel's Mother. Beowulf takes with him a sword. His reliance
on his own courage and the "pure" strength that nature or God has imbued him with is
waning, and he is placing reliance on a material tool. His battle with the mother does
not go nearly so well as the battle with Grendel, and his life is put in mortal danger
several times. Also, when the battle is over, the sword is destroyed. These factors
point toward the unreliable nature of earthly
contrivances.
Finally, in his battle with the dragon,
Beowulf attacks with sword and armor, and though he is able to slay the dragon, it costs
him his life. Once again, this indicates that hiding behind the material is a path to
destruction.
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