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Sabrina Hope
McGriff
ENL2012
July 7, 2015
Throughout the Old English period literature has an underlying common theme, religion.
This is demonstrated specifically in the poems The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf. Notably
both poems demonstrate the conflict between good and evil. The good in these poems is
demonstrated by a heroic figure, Christ in The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf in Beowulf.
Particularly, the theme of the conflict between good and evil is demonstrated by Beowulf
defeating the demons and the dragons, as well as Christ defeating sin.
To begin with, The Dream of the Rood is a poem about the crucifixion of Jesus. In the
poem Jesus was portrayed eager to go up on the cross, I saw the lord of mankind/ coming with
great haste so that he might climb up on me [the cross]. (33-34) The conflict is between Christ,
the good, and sin, the evil. He climbed up on the high gallows,/ brave in the sight of many, as he
set out to redeem mankind. (40-41) Jesus was ready to redeem mankind and the sins they
committed, and do away with sin and evil forever. The Son was victorious. (105) By being on
the cross and dying he defeated sin which in turn defeated the evil.
Continuing, Beowulf is an Old English epic. It portrays a mythical hero, Beowulf, and his
quest to find and kill two demons and a dragon. He does this to avenge the deaths of those who
were killed by the first demon, Grendel. In contrast to Jesus in The Dream of the Rood
Beowulf was reluctant to go and fight Grendel, they inspected omens and spurred/ his ambition
to go. (204-205) The obvious conflict was between Beowulf, the good, and demons and a

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dragon, the evil. However, there is also internal conflict within Beowulf between good and evil.
There are several times throughout the poem that the good conflicts with the bad. For example,
when Beowulf fights the demon Grendel. Beowulf was granted/ the glory of winning; Grendel
was driven/ under the fin-banks, fatally hurt. (817-819) Beowulf representing the good defeated
the evil. Also, when Beowulf fights Grendels mother. I have wrestled the hilt/ from the
enemies hand, avenged the evil/ dome to the Danes; it is what was due. (1668-1670) In this
quote, it specifically says what his purpose was and what he did in succeeding, he avenged his
friends who died and the evil. The last example of the fight between good and evil is when
Beowulf fights the dragon. I shall pursue this fight/ for the glory of winning, if the evil one will
only/ abandon his earth-for and face me in open. (2513-2515) This quote signifies Beowulf
defeating evil for the final time, after he kills the dragon he dies from his wounds.
In conclusion, these Old English poems demonstrate the theme of a conflict between
good and evil. In The Dream of the Rood Christ, the good, is portrayed as a warrior who
confronts and defeats sin, the evil. In Beowulf the known warrior, the good, confronts and defeats
the demons and dragon, the evil. The theme of religion is also an underlying theme in these
poems. However, the corresponding theme of the conflict between good and evil is more
prominent.

W/C: 548

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Works Cited
Beowulf. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2012. Print.
The Dream of the Rood. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2012. Print.