Question

According to paragraph two, how is JUSTICE in Beowulf's tribe similar and/or different from what is seen in Christianity?

In Beowulf, the relationship between the tribe’s pagan religion, with its code of vengeance contrasts with Christianity’s emphasis on forgiveness of one’s enemies and self-restraint (at least in the New Testament). This difference in values is nevertheless shown as relatively compatible within the context of Beowulf’s society and time period, which is in the early Middle Ages. For instance, the notion of justice is closely linked to the notion of “an eye for an eye” wherein an an injurious act is reciprocated through retaliation. Beowulf’s tribe believes in demanding “Wergild or man-price; monetary compensation for the life of the slain man is the only way according to Germanic law, to settle a feud peacefully” (Greenblatt et al. 38). Despite the fact that contemporary notions of justice no longer condone such acts of retribution, one can nevertheless commend Beowulf’s tribe for their consistency in the application, or misapplication, of Christian and pagan values.