What Tolkien learnt from Beowulf: Representations of Evil

Smaug the Golden, Sauron the Terrible, the Balrog of Moria... These are some of J. R. R. Tolkien's most remarkable antagonists, and few of us would disagree that, without them, his novels would not be the same. But what is the secret of their success as monstrous antagonists? Discover the answer in this twenty-minute podcast.
Date Published: 3 August 2020
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Contributors: Rafael J. Pascual
In Collection(s): J.R.R. Tolkien, Fantasy Literature: Further Thinking, Tolkien at Oxford, Beowulf
Keywords: beowulf, The Lord of the Rings
Cite: What Tolkien learnt from Beowulf: Representations of Evil by J.R.R. Tolkien at https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/what-tolkien-learnt-beowulf-representations-evil via https://dev.writersinspire.it.ox.ac.uk/content/what-tolkien-learnt-beowulf-representations-evil. Published on 03 August 2020. Accessed on 14 May 2026.
If reusing this resource please attribute as follows: What Tolkien learnt from Beowulf: Representations of Evil (https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/what-tolkien-learnt-beowulf-representations-evil) by J.R.R. Tolkien, licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA (2.0 UK).
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