Remaking Beowulf as a Christian Hero The story of Beowulf is full of religious references and symbolism, but is it really a Christian story? According to the narrative, Beowulf is an instrument of God, an instrument of justice called by God to do His will for the Danes. In stark contrast to his good, is the enemy, Grendel, the embodiment of pure evil. These two characters seem to represent the forces of good against the forces of evil. It would be easy enough to leave the story this way, but it seems like Beowulf is intentionally written to make the main characters appear more important by adding biblical references to the narrative. By creating characters of biblical stature, the story as a whole has added importance. The story had to be important enough that those who told it and those who heard it would never forget it. This gruesome creature was called Grendel, infamous predator of the borderlands, ranger of moors, swamps and fortresses; this cursed creature lived in a monster's lair for a time after the Creator condemned him as one of the seeds of Cain, the Eternal Lord, who avenged the murder of Abel. Cain received no satisfaction from that feud, but the Creator sent him into exile, away from mankind because of his crime. He could no longer approach the throne of grace, that precious place in the presence of God, nor did he feel the love of God. (102-113)Grendel is compared to Cain in this passage, but he also seems to display characteristics of the devil. He is called a wanderer... in the middle of the card... of the city. Pagan religions were disappearing and were being replaced by new traditions and a new religion. Maybe this version of Beowulf is like a remake of an old movie made forty years ago. It had been renovated to fit the times. If so, that would have been a good idea, because this "modernized" version of Beowulf has certainly stood the test of time. Works Cited Blackburn, F.A.. "The Christian Coloring in Beowulf." In An Anthology of Beowulf Criticism, edited by Lewis E. Nicholson. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1963. Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.Frank, Roberta. "The Poet Beowulf's Sense of History." In Beowulf - Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.