Of Monsters and Monks A Comparison - 966 Words

The characteristics and actions of monks provide an insightful look into how human society perceived their relationship with these men of Christian faith, a common notion or view of them as monsters. Monsters can be defined as a cultural body, an expression of a culture’s anxieties, what is unknown to them, and the fears they have. Monsters usually have very distinct physical characteristics, which include unnatural strength, a considerable amount of unkempt hair, and an unusual appearance associated with conditions such as gigantism and hybridism. Although civilized, monsters usually struggle with the reemergence of their inner wildness, particularly as seen in stories of Enkidu, Gilgamesh, and Samson from the bible. Monsters often emerge in the periphery of human society, where outside these borders, as described by writers such as Herodotus and Pliny, the unknown people take on the forms of monsters. In the outskirts of civilization, monks began appearing during the age of pagan and Christian antiquity. From the beginning of Christianity very serious individuals of the faith sought to avoid the sinfulness of their societies by completely denouncing it and abstaining from social contact. Monks became these individuals who departed from structured society to live in the periphery as wild men. The lore and the known truths that surrounded these monks allowed for human society at that time to speculate on whether these individuals embodied the concept of monsters. As evidentShow MoreRelatedNietzsche Said Whoever Fights Monsters Should See To It1614 Words   |  7 PagesNietzsche said Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you (Beyond Good and Evil, 146). Most people are convinced that they are the hero or heroine of a story, but if their motives are impure, selfish, or short sighted; they may very well turn out to be the villain. In the cla ssic gothic novel, The Monk by Matthew Lewis in which several characters’ motives, lives, and deaths becomeRead MoreThe Religious Themes Of The Epic Of Beowulf1485 Words   |  6 Pageswork was actually focused around a Pagan belief system before the Christian coloring and allusions were added. Christianity is the second religion being portrayed in this Epic Poem. It is theorized that a monk was the one that added the Christian themes to the work as he was recording it. Monks were famous for being scribes and recording different works in their solemn monasteries. These are only theories, and this paper will discuss both of the religious themes and the impacts they both contributeRead MoreChristian and Pagan Elements in Beowulf926 Words   |  4 PagesELEMENTS IN BEOWULF The poem Beowulf is full of Pagan and Christian elements, this combination gave place to many discutions about the origin of the poem. On the one hand some scholars have said that this is the result of a transcription made by some monks where they added the christian elements, on the other hand it is believed that the poem was written in a period in which the Anglo-Saxons were being converted from their worship of Germanic Pagan gods to the Christian God. â€Å"It was long held thatRead MoreAnalysis Of William Shakespeare s The Epic Of The English 1113 Words   |  5 Pagesnarrator immediately depicts Grendel as the antagonist, a person who is actively hostile towards someone, â€Å"conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God,† (Anonymous, 40). The comparison between Grendel and Cain, the oldest son of Adam and Eve who murdered his brother Abel, shows the authors’ perceived tone towards the monster and opens up the storyline. The narrator goes on to tell that since Grendel is merely this horrible creature he goes to Herot, King Hrothgar’sRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Dream Of The Rood, Beowulf, And The Canterbury Tales Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesThe Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales acts much like the stereotypical woman in speech and language. That is to say that â€Å"women’s irritating habits, their deviancy or inadequacy in language usage in comparison to the norm† (Treharne), the norm being how men use language, is inferior in comparison. Men make up what is to be considered the standard in society and the women should aim for that. To men, women talk too much and can not be trusted due to their gossipy ways. The Wife of Bath shows thisRead MoreBeowulf Essay : Battle Comparison1266 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf essay: Battle comparison In the poem â€Å"Beowulf† the protagonist encounters three enemies of large proportions: Grendel the serpent, Grendel’s Mother, and a Dragon. 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In this sense, Beowulf can be seen as a Christian story of salvationRead MoreThe Origins of the Species by Charles Darwin Essay examples2012 Words   |  9 Pagesthe conventional themes and features of the Early Gothic but there was an addition of new elements such as science, atavism or the monster figure. The following pages deal with the main differences and similarities between Victorian Gothic and the previous traditional Gothic works. In particular this essay will explore and compare Stoker’s Dracula with Lewis’ The Monk and Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance. It will examine in deeper detail two aspects of the novels: the writing style and setting in orderRead MoreComparison Between Beowulf And The 13th Warrior1691 Words   |  7 Pageswill discuss the difference between Beowulf and The 13th warrior throughout the paper. Another thing we will be discussing is how the authors use religion in a unique way in both works to portray their story in their own way. Before we begin our comparison we will begin with some information on Anglo-Saxon Paganism and Islam. Beowulf was written by an Anglo-Saxon poet. Anglo-Saxon was a common religion among the Viking time period. Pagans are polytheistic meaning they believe in multiple godsRead MoreComparing Similarities Between Beowulf And The 13th Warrior1976 Words   |  8 Pagesdifferent we will discuss the difference between Beowulf and The 13th warrior in this paper. Another thing we will be discussing is how the authors use religion in their own way in both works to portray their story in their own way. Before we begin our comparison we will begin with some information on Anglo-Saxon Paganism and Islam. There are five major religions of the world, of those five major religions, one claims to be the youngest; this religion is called Islam. Although Islam may be the youngest