Free-Will Leads to Evil

Evil lives in every corner of the world. Many often question God’s power due to its existence. If God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, why did he choose to bring evil into the world? The truth of the matter is that God did not directly bring “evil” into the world; instead he gave the world “free will”. Biblically, evil manifests itself in the shape of the devil. The devil was once an angel worthy of God’s respect and love. However it is free-will that God gave to all his creatures that led to the devil’s fall from grace. Free-will catapulted the devil to rise up and challenge God, causing him to be condemned to hell. Taking advantage of God’s free-will is what truly resulted in evil’s creation. This became a lesson for the devil, which in turn became the prime symbol of “evil”.  Thus the evil which spans from free-will is a test that God created for all creatures.

Evil which manifests itself in the form of free-will serves one ultimate purpose for all of humanity. Evil pushes humans to the brink of their limits. It chooses it victims at random.  The strength of people becomes tested as challenges are thrown in their path. The idea of evil befalling on the “good” is the greatest dilemma that arises by those who strongly adhere to the fact that God is omnibenevolent. Evil is God’s medium of testing one’s morale and faith in him. By giving in to the challenges that evil brings, means losing touch with the almighty. Despite any setbacks that it might bring with it, evil occurrences are what lead humanity on a path of learning and enlightenment.  

This same philosophy applies to character of Grendel in Beowulf. Like the devil, Grendel is a symbol of evil in the world. Both characters also have Biblical roots. Grendel is a direct descendant of Cain who through free-will, killed his brother and became the world’s first murderer. Grendel takes advantage of free-will by partaking in guilt-free manslaughter. An act like this is shunned by the eyes of God. Though Grendel is a menace to society, him taking the lives of countless innocent victims serves a common purpose. Like Satan, he seems to enjoy and has no repentance for his crime. His existence poses a threat to the function of society by instilling a fear into the minds of civilians just like Satan and “evil” do to the world. Grendel’s influence on king Hrothgar is the threat of losing his kingdom, and his life. Seeing the daily deaths of his subjects only leads Hrothgar to the inner realization that he might too be next. In this case, an evil power is testing a man’s vulnerability. In terms of Beowulf, the strength of the individual is being tested. The evil that is Grendel, challenges his physical and mental perseverance as he is chooses to fight the monster unarmed. Defeating Grendel only boosts his morale, and reinforces his purpose of being worthy enough to surmount any encountered “evil” or enemy.

Overall supernatural characters like Grendel exist in literature solely to serve as God’s obstacles for the protagonist. Every character, regardless of condition or status must be kept in check by means of an “evil” occurrence that tests their power and self-worth. Their struggle consequently reinforces the fact that they shall forever remain mortals, inferior to God in knowledge and supremacy.