Posted by Hunter [12.211.199.55 - 12-211-199-55.client.attbi.com] on 06 January 2003 at 08.40.45 ZuluTime:

In Reply to: Radio Free Duhmerica posted by Ephemerides Dragon on 05 January 2003 at 23.43.52 ZuluTime:

"Beowulf was all about pointing out the shortcomings in Grendel."

The nature of the sentence itself..."Beowulf" refers to the poem itself, not the character itself. In that, the sentence is a little short. The story points out the shortcomings [negative aspects. Makes into a badguy, so to speak] of Grendel, Grendel's mother, and Beowulf's other opponents.

Had the poem been about pointing out Beowulf's shortcomings, it probably wouldn't have potrayed Beowulf in an almost heroic position.

You probably have to look at it as it was intended, though. I took the thing and wrote a paper on how Beowulf was a criminal for harassing innocents. It was justifiable, but only if you looked at it exactly the right way.

At heart, though, yeah. The poem points out the shortcomings of Grendel. If it didn't, he wouldn't have died. Epic poems are kinda dumb like that.