Good vs. Evil

Good versus evil has been a reoccurring theme in stories for centuries. Even in the earliest times, stories were being told about a feud or rivalry between good and evil. The "good" character is usually the hero, the person who conquers the evil and saves the day. The "evil" character is the person who causes trouble and mayhem in the world. The evil character goes against the good character to try to continue their mayhem. 
This good versus evil theme occurs in the epic Beowulf. Beowulf, the "good" character is the hero of the poem. Beowulf is brave, strong, loyal, courageous, and he saves others from terrible monsters several times. Grendel is one of those "evil" characters. Grendel is described as a "fiend from hell", he is a horrible monster who takes enjoyment in devouring people and devouring as many people as he can. Beowulf comes to the rescue to save the Danes. Beowulf, with his God-like strength kills Grendel with his bare hands. Throughout the epic, Beowulf kills two other evils; he defeats Grendel's mother and a dragon. Beowulf is the good; the hero that conquers the evil and saves the day several times. Grendel and the other villainous creatures are the evil; the characters that go against the good and try to continue their mayhem. 
This good versus evil theme is not just something that occurs in stories, it is evident in everyday life. People in the world are constantly fighting the evil. For example, police officers protect society from local criminals. Soldiers protect out country from outside threats, they sacrifice their own lives so that we can live in peace. There are people who stand up for what is right; they want to get women more rights, they want to get minority's more rights, or they just want to see justice in this society. These people are the "good" in our world today, and these people protect the world from evil. These people are the real life heroes, and they fight the real life evils. 
I believe that this theme is one of the most important themes there is, in both stories and real life. Almost every story written or every movie made has the good versus evil theme. People want to read about or watch heroes save the day. Same goes for real life, everyone loves a hero and people love to praise the heroes of our world.