An Analysis Of British Literature

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no semse of sorrow, felt no regret for his
sufferings," because they believed Grendel was destined to die, and there
was no way to defy destiny. They also did not pity Grendel because they
considered him to be entirely evil because it was his fate. The Anglo-
Saxon's strong belief in fate led to them not fearing death as much as
during other times periods in British Literature. Beowulf's strong belief
in fate was a reflection in the society's pagan belief in fate. Due to the
fact that the society at the time of Beowulf was pagan, they did not
believe in the afterlife.
The Christian revision to Beowulf illustrated a different outlook
on death and the afterlife. When monks were copying the story, they
realized it dealt with pagan ideals, and they incorporated Christian ideals
into the text. The monks included the concept God was the ultimate one who
controls fate. This was shown when Beowulf told Hrogthgar "God must
decide/ Who will be given to death's cold grip." The monks ...

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the Catholic church played a dominant
role in society. In England, the church's abbeys and monasteries were the
main centers of learning and the arts before the founding of Oxford and
Cambridge universities during the thirteenth century. The church preached
that following their faith would led a person to the afterlife. A piece of
literature which displayed the belief in the afterlife was Sir Gawain and
the Green Knight. The story starts at a Christmas party at Camelot when
the Green Knight enters and offers to let a knight hit him with an ax if he
can return the blow a year and a day later. Sir Gawain, the most brave
knight of the round table, accepted the challenge, and he ...

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