THE MONSTERS AND THE CRITICS

Tolkien looked at Beowulf as a fantasy rather than a story written to outline the history of its time. In his criticism he uses the criticism of other authors to point out what and why people have been approaching Beowulf the wrong way by looking at what history is embedded into it and trying to get the history of its time out of it. One critic argues that the structure of Beowulf is "curiously weak" as all it has is the fighting of monsters and not in between, such as the Odyssey or the Aeneid does. Tolkien's take on this idea is that there does not need to be any in between story, as its not setting up the idea of a nation or real hero by trying to make reasons for all the epic battle, but it is a story meant to be read for the pleasure of reading about a heroic warrior. Other critics also argue that the allusions to history does not stick out enough and explain enough about what is going on. Not quite making sense to the story of Beowulf itself. This is partly because the claim that they don't have enough background such as Odysseus's Cyclops does. Tolkien explains this is the way its supposed to be as the history is their to make what Beowulf does seem more prestige and dramatic. The history is there to set the idea of the hardship and battle Beowulf is facing against his enemies the same way you would compare a basketball game to a battle to make the idea of intensity come through. The monsters don't need to have history because they are meant for the sole purpose of Beowulf killing them to make a great journey, not to set up the idea that Beowulf or his nation is fated to be awesome. 

Tolkien's view on the piece allows a reader to enjoy the story for what it is rather than try to pick the history out, and apparently be disappointed as all the other critics were who tried to do so. The idea that a christian writing about a pagan life style was  being looked at as a historic piece, until Tolkien looked at it as a fantasy is notable.  Its interesting because now rather than the piece being historical, the Pagan lifestyle, in a way, has been warped into a fantasy adventure filled with imaginary monsters and creatures. I would wonder if Beowulf would have lived in the end if he was a christian.