There are two sides to every story, and in seeking the truth you must know both stories. The opinion of someone can greatly differ from that of another simply because of their point of view—how they see things, what they believe. The monster Grendel is mentioned in the novel Grendel and the epic poem Beowulf, but the character is depicted differently. The two stories have different points of view on the fiend: one personal or intimate, and the other more objective, traditional to a legend. The character differs on the subjects of being loved, questioning the origin of the monster, and being a mindless killing machine. In both Grendel and Beowulf, the concept of Grendel being loved is touched upon. In the novel, despite Grendel’s anger and spiteful attitude towards his mother, he is shown different forms of love by her. When he was younger, he wondered off while exploring one day, and wound up with his foot stuck in a tree for an entire night. Terriefied and bleeding, Grendel was preparing to be tortured by a group of men when his mother arrived to rescue him, “roaring down like thunder, screaming like a thousand hurricanes, eyes as bright as dragonfire” (Gardener, 27). Even though his mother rarely interacts with Grendel, she takes care of him, nurturing him with all the love she is capable of. On the other hand, the epic poem shows that Grendel is loved by no one, not even God.
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In the description of Grendel’s nature, it is said that he, along with his brethren, were cast out,“The Almighty drove / Those demons out, and their exile was bitter, / Shut away from men” (“Beowulf.” , 23-25). Grendel was said to have been so evil that even God rejected him, for there is no amount of love that could mask the daunting hatred he possessed. Grendel and Beowulf differ on this subject mainly because Beowulf was unable to show the personal side of Grendel’s life, and the fact that his mother has feelings, and does show adoration for her son. The origination of the character Grendel is mentioned in both Grendel and in Beowulf. In the novel, Grendel is constantly searching for the truth behind his existence. He continually questions himself, as well as his mother when he asks, “‘Why are we here?’ . . . ‘Why do we stand this putrid, stinking hole?’” (Gardener, 11). Grendel is not only wondering where he comes from, but why he exists. The search for answers is extremely important to him, he craves any kind of idea as to what his origin is. In contraction, in the epic poem, Grendel’s origin is not a mystery. It is said that he was, “Conceived by a pair of those monsters born / Of Cain, murderous creatures banished/ By God” (“Beowulf.” , 20-22). Grendel, in this story, comes from one of the original, most iconic pictures of evil: Cain, son of Adam and Eve. Cain was punished by God because allowed evil to overcome him when killed his brother out of envy. who killed his brother, and was forever punished by God. His origin of existence is not questioned at all, because there is no doubt that he is a devilish monster. The difference in the story behind Grendel’s start has to do with the beliefs of both points of views. Grendel was not told anything about where he came from, whereas
In the description of Grendel’s nature, it is said that he, along with his brethren, were cast out,“The Almighty drove / Those demons out, and their exile was bitter, / Shut away from men” (“Beowulf.” , 23-25). Grendel was said to have been so evil that even God rejected him, for there is no amount of love that could mask the daunting hatred he possessed. Grendel and Beowulf differ on this subject mainly because Beowulf was unable to show the personal side of Grendel’s life, and the fact that his mother has feelings, and does show adoration for her son. The origination of the character Grendel is mentioned in both Grendel and in Beowulf. In the novel, Grendel is constantly searching for the truth behind his existence. He continually questions himself, as well as his mother when he asks, “‘Why are we here?’ . . . ‘Why do we stand this putrid, stinking hole?’” (Gardener, 11). Grendel is not only wondering where he comes from, but why he exists. The search for answers is extremely important to him, he craves any kind of idea as to what his origin is. In contraction, in the epic poem, Grendel’s origin is not a mystery. It is said that he was, “Conceived by a pair of those monsters born / Of Cain, murderous creatures banished/ By God” (“Beowulf.” , 20-22). Grendel, in this story, comes from one of the original, most iconic pictures of evil: Cain, son of Adam and Eve. Cain was punished by God because allowed evil to overcome him when killed his brother out of envy. who killed his brother, and was forever punished by God. His origin of existence is not questioned at all, because there is no doubt that he is a devilish monster. The difference in the story behind Grendel’s start has to do with the beliefs of both points of views. Grendel was not told anything about where he came from, whereas