Grendel Test Philosophies

repetition

the world moves in an endless cycle, chapter 1

solipsism

“i alone exist” - being stuck in the tree and the bull attacking him, first human encounter

sophistry

to argue any side of a question with no regards for the truth in order to convince someone of something - warfare meets the region, Hrothgar gaining power fast, first encounter with the shaper

old testament

vengeance, sacrifice, fear and judgement - grendel hears shapers songs and comes to the mead hall saying he is a friend, before being driven out and rejected

dualism

the theory that physical and mental are two different things, references good and evil - seen when Grendel first hears the shaper’s song

nihilism

nothing in life matters - chapter 5 where grendel is speaking to the dragon

materialism

the idea that everything that exists has a physical form - chapter 5 with dragon and treasure

skepticism

no one truth is humanly attainable through reason, sense, or other means - chapter 6, grendel angry at shapers song, guard attacks him but cant hurt him, grendel kills him and wages war on humanity, unferth

new testament

forgiveness, peace, acceptance - wealtheow is given to hrothgar to spare her kingdom, heals unferth’s bad reputation with a word

machiavelli

leaders must be prepared to act immorally in order to maintain power and stability through manipulation - chapter 8, hrothulf introduced, threat to hrothgar

anarchism

theory that all forms of government are unjust and interfere with individual liberty and should e replaced by voluntary cooperative group - chapter 8, red horse encourages revolution but hrothulf does not want to hurt anyone

mysticism

theory of possibility of attaining an intuitive knowledge of spiritual truths through meditation - chapter 9 ork, talks about chief destroyer and how he is the limitation of the universe

nietzsche

“god is dead” theory, no higher power or moral compass - shaper dies, grendel kills the goat, grendel’s mom warns of beowulf

sartre

existentialist philosophy, people are responsible for their own actions and free to do whatever they want, no morality - chapter 11 beowulf arrives to the meadhall

existentialism

concrete, individual existence takes precedence over abstract conceptual essence; individuals are totally free and responsible for their acts and this responsibility is the source of their dread and anguish - chapter 11, beowulf goes to meadhall

empiricism

all knowledge comes from existence - chapter 12 beowulf kills grendel “feel the wall”