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In an archetypical sense, light and dark are used to represent good and evil. In Beowulf and Grendel, this is made evident in the battle scenes depicted in each story. However, light and dark are used to represent a different evil in each story; in Grendel, Beowulf is evil but in Beowulf, Grendel is evil. Since Grendel is told from Grendel’s first-person point of view, he justifies his actions as being virtuous and righteous. He believes that he is doing the right thing when he kills because he is punishing men for their violence and destruction. He, therefore, uses light images when describing himself and his actions in battle scenes and darkness to represent men, especially Beowulf. In the last battle scene in Grendel, when he is about to fight Beowulf, it states, “I step onto the brightly shining floor and angrily advance on them (Gardner, 168).” Grendel describes the floor as being bright when he steps onto it. It is as if he believes he is bringing light, or goodness, to the mead hall with his arrival there.
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