Beowulf Symbolism Authors often use events and things to symbolize stages in someone's life. Symbolism is the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing meaning of significance to objects, events, or relationships. In Beowulf, Beowulf fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. In the anonymous epic Beowulf, Beowulf's battles symbolize the youth, adulthood, and old age of Beowulf's life. First, the battle with Grendel represents the youth of Beowulf's life. …
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…a heroic dive to the depth of the watery Hell. Second, as adults get older they are less daring and wait for the ballte to come to them. Instead of going to Hrothgar and asking to fight for him he waits and lets Hrothgar ask him. This is seen when Beowulf is awakened and called for again. I have shown you how the battle with Grendel s mother represents the adult stage of Beowulf's life.