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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