Beowulf Unsuitable for Children

Beowulf is the first English literature master piece. It tells a story about a hero who killed Grendel the monster in order to save the Dutch's from his evil. After years when he became a king he had to fight a fire-breath dragon and kill him but, unfortunately the hero died from his wounds.

This folk epic must not read by young children for several reasons. First of all, this poem contains many violent events, such as when Beowulf fights Grendel and cut off his arm. This poem encourages young children to be violent. The descriptions of a bloody foot-prints and when Grendel attack for the second time the image of him wile eating the men and drinking their blood. He eats even the hands and feet.

Secondly, the poem is full of imagination in harmful way for children. It has imaginary characters and events as the powerful hero and the ugly monsters to the battles of the hero.

The Old English epic poem Beowulf is written in al...

An illustration of Grendel by J.R. Skelton from St...

English: An illustration of Beowulf fighting the d...

Such as when the hero go under the water to fight Grendel's mother with out any weapon. Any child will wonder how did he fight all that time under the water and don't die. How did he pull the monster arm? Some times also children imitate what they read in stories which can cause their death.

Third, this poem is discussing the beliefs and traditions of two religions. It talks about Christianity when it tells that the monster was exiled from mankind by God and that he was from the race of Cain. Also it gives hints about the beliefs and traditions of Pagan. That revels in the way they performed the funeral of their great king and it ends by burning his body according to their traditions. If the children read this story will got confused and wonder which one...