Literary notes about beast (AI summary)
The word "beast" functions in literature as a versatile symbol that can denote both the raw power of nature and the darker, animalistic impulses within human character. It is often used to describe individuals in a manner that underscores their untamed behavior or physicality—as when someone is disparagingly likened to a “beast” to imply a lack of refinement ([1],[2])—while at other times it conveys gentleness or even a noble quality, blurring the lines between human and animal temperament ([3],[4]). In mythic and adventure narratives the term emerges as a marker of mystery and formidable strength, evoking images of monsters and enigmatic creatures that challenge the boundaries of the known world ([5],[6],[7]). This multiplicity in usage allows authors to explore themes ranging from moral degradation to the sublime majesty of nature.
- And Mrs. Jewkes said, There is that beast of a wench fast asleep, instead of being a-bed!
— from Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson - And then he thinks, “What an ill-tempered beast I am!
— from Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes - A very gentle beast, and of a good conscience.
— from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare - “Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?” said the Beast faintly.
— from The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang - The Beast had a head like that of a rhinoceros, only there were five eyes in its face.
— from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - A monstrous beast, on which the woman of Babylon sat; Revelation , xiii and xvii, 7. 139.
— from Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Book I by Edmund Spenser - The monster Cacus, more than half a beast, This hold, impervious to the sun, possess’d.
— from The Aeneid by Virgil
