Similarities Between The Shaper And The Dragon In Grendel

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In a struggle to find his identity, Grendel spends the entire novel wrestling with the concepts of existence and purpose. Causing a violent conflict in his mind, the two tear Grendel’s mind apart as the realization of who he is progresses throughout Gardner’s novel, Grendel. Grendel’s struggle with identity is illustrated through the characterization of the Shaper and the Dragon, his isolation from the human society, and the contrast between good and evil, exposing the brutal truth that life is temporary, regardless of purpose.
Between the Shaper and the Dragon, conflicting ideas on the purpose of life are provided, which leads to Grendel’s struggle with identity as he has to choose his take on life. The Dragon confronts Grendel with harsh cynicism and the belief of a meaningless life. Claiming omniscience and a vision of all time, the Dragon presents ideas of the ridiculousness of humans’ theology and imagination, suggesting that Grendel might as well “find a piece of gold and sit on it”. Encountering the Shaper is what leads to Grendel’s internal torment, as exposure to the Shaper gives Grendel a sense of purpose. The Shaper gives Grendel the influence of song, poetry, religion, and emotions, which completely oppose the blunt and rational opinion of the Dragon. Grendel begins to believe in giving himself purpose, giving himself purpose as the Destroyer (or, in better terms, the humans’ personal nuisance). By giving himself this role of evil, he exposes his inability to be good, and therefore his inability to have or need purpose. Battling between the two opinions of a meaningless life or a life driven by purpose, Grendel struggles with his identity as he has to choose whether his desire is for purpose or truth. With a high level of intelligence and curiosity, Grendel’s inability to be understood by humans or his own kind forces him into isolation, creating internal warfare between his desire and his identity.
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While stuck in the tree, Grendel comes to the conclusion that he alone exists and life is meaningless, simply following seasons and patterns. Grendel realizes not only the major difference between him and animals, who seemingly have no point or purpose, but finds striking similarities between his thoughts and human thoughts. After their first interaction, Grendel concludes that humans are thinking creatures capable of overcoming patterns, but he cannot physically communicate or fit in with them. The bull, persistently charging at Grendel hanging from the tree, and the goat, who continued to climb Grendel’s rocks after it was injured and bleeding, led Grendel to conclude that nature is mechanical and indifferent. Feeling misunderstood by both humans and animals, Grendel faces an internal struggle as he desires to be understood on the same thinking level as humans, but is clearly born into the life of a monster. Unable to identify with either group forces Grendel to have his own identity. This warfare corners Grendel, showing that the conflict between desire and identity take away the meaning of life, as one way or the other, he is stuck in a life where he is misunderstood and unable to make progress. Throughout Gardner’s novel, the contrast between good and evil emphasizes the conflicting opinions of purpose that Grendel experiences throughout the novel, showing his inability to find his identity until the encounter with Beowulf. The conflict between Beowulf and Grendel change the accepted contrast

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