Comparing Conscience And Morality In 'Grendel' By John Gardner

Conscience and morality distinguish man from monster. Wild animals and beasts depend on hunting for a living, killing prey to keep themselves alive. On the other hand, humans desire more than the bare minimum to survive. Humans are more complex creatures who can comprehend more emotions such as love and regret. In the book Grendel by John Gardner, the title character and beast, Grendel encounters an internal situation that causes him to question the fine line that differentiates man and monster.

Grendel lived life knowing nothing but the woods and the animals before encountering the Danes. He thought he was one of them, a feral monster who fed off of the other animals in order to survive. An intelligent creature was a foreign concept to Grendel until the day he encountered Hrothgar and his clan. The people there had a language, and a society that consisted of rituals. However, among all of these improvements, these people killed and plundered other humans for fun, and not out of necessity. Grendel first realizes this when he discovers a burnt hall, "The fallen hall was a square of flames and acrid smoke, and the people inside were burned black, small like dwarfs turned dark and crisp"(Gardner 34). This idea bewilders Grendel. Because, if the humans are clearly more advanced than the beasts of the wild, …show more content…
He can comprehend human ideals, yet still attacks and devours humans for a pastime. However, Grendel also feels regret and remorse for his actions. His conscience humanizes him. His superior intellect also puts him above monsters and animals by having the ability to outwit others. For instance, in chapter 2, as Grendel was being attacked by the bull, he is able to able to figure out how to avoid his horns from impaling his leg. "He'd have fought the same way against an earthquake or an eagle: I had nothing to fear from his wrath but the twisted horn"(Gardner