What is evil described as? Evil can be defined as doing wrong, sinful actions, causing pain or suffering to others, doing anything against society, being morally unacceptable, or a villain that everyone hates. Grendel is a lonely monster in the book Grendel by John Gardner. He eats people as his diet and enjoys it thoroughly. He does wrong, he is not well liked, he kills people and causes pain to them and their family, he believes nothing that the society believes and is not accepted within the community. By definition of evil, Grendel falls under evil “standards”. The monster Grendel is evil in that he deceives others, craves killing, and cannot do any good. Grendel tricks people into believing him. He tells Ork that “‘It is I,’ I say.
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Whenever Grendel kills, he describes in depth the blood and gory. “It splits his skull and blood sprays out past his dangling brains, yet he doesn’t fall. … The air is sweet with the scent of his blood” (Gardner 140). The art of killing satisfies Grendel’s thirst. Killing is morally acceptable for monsters, but only to eat. Grendel does it to entertain himself and watch others suffer. After killing, “I fled with the body to the woods, heart churning- boiling like a flooded ditch- with glee. … I felt a strange, unearthly joy” (Gardner 79). Only someone evil could enjoy killing that much. Before a raid “I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust, and joy. … I am blazing, half-crazy with joy” (Gardner 167-168). Grendel would not know what to do with himself without being able to kill. “If I murdered the last of the Scyldings, what would I live for? I’d have to move” (Gardner 158). Whenever Grendel does not kill for a long time he is bored. “Tedium is the worst pain” (Gardner 138). To Grendel, the worst possible pain is not …show more content…
Whenever something good happens, he must stop and do the opposite. Unferth is thought of as a hero by society and wants Grendel to kill him in order to die a “heroic death”. Grendel is aware of this and purposefully lets Unferth live. He won’t give Unferth what he wants and what would make him appear as the villain that killed the hero. “I picked him [Unferth] up gently and carried him home. … I laugh when I see him. … So much for heroism” (Gardner 90). It would be the ‘right thing’ to let Unferth die a hero, but Grendel likes to be stubborn and do the wrong thing. The Shaper sings his positivity and “I [Grendel] was so filled with sorrow and tenderness I could hardly have found it in my heart to snatch a pig!” (Gardner 44). This is one of the few times Grendel feels compassion and sympathy. He cannot handle it. “I ran on all fours, chest pounding, to the smoky mere” (Gardner 45). Whenever he feels something he is not used to, he either runs from it or attacks. Grendel is mesmerized by the queen, “I was teased- tortured by the red of her hair. … I snatched her foot, and now her unqueenly shrieks were deafening. … I would kill her, yes! … But I’d cured myself” (Gardner 108-110). Grendel believes there is something wrong with him when he has feelings for the queen and needs to attack her in order to cure himself of the feelings. Evil characters do not like to have loving feelings because that is the dichotomy of what
Whenever Grendel kills, he describes in depth the blood and gory. “It splits his skull and blood sprays out past his dangling brains, yet he doesn’t fall. … The air is sweet with the scent of his blood” (Gardner 140). The art of killing satisfies Grendel’s thirst. Killing is morally acceptable for monsters, but only to eat. Grendel does it to entertain himself and watch others suffer. After killing, “I fled with the body to the woods, heart churning- boiling like a flooded ditch- with glee. … I felt a strange, unearthly joy” (Gardner 79). Only someone evil could enjoy killing that much. Before a raid “I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust, and joy. … I am blazing, half-crazy with joy” (Gardner 167-168). Grendel would not know what to do with himself without being able to kill. “If I murdered the last of the Scyldings, what would I live for? I’d have to move” (Gardner 158). Whenever Grendel does not kill for a long time he is bored. “Tedium is the worst pain” (Gardner 138). To Grendel, the worst possible pain is not …show more content…
Whenever something good happens, he must stop and do the opposite. Unferth is thought of as a hero by society and wants Grendel to kill him in order to die a “heroic death”. Grendel is aware of this and purposefully lets Unferth live. He won’t give Unferth what he wants and what would make him appear as the villain that killed the hero. “I picked him [Unferth] up gently and carried him home. … I laugh when I see him. … So much for heroism” (Gardner 90). It would be the ‘right thing’ to let Unferth die a hero, but Grendel likes to be stubborn and do the wrong thing. The Shaper sings his positivity and “I [Grendel] was so filled with sorrow and tenderness I could hardly have found it in my heart to snatch a pig!” (Gardner 44). This is one of the few times Grendel feels compassion and sympathy. He cannot handle it. “I ran on all fours, chest pounding, to the smoky mere” (Gardner 45). Whenever he feels something he is not used to, he either runs from it or attacks. Grendel is mesmerized by the queen, “I was teased- tortured by the red of her hair. … I snatched her foot, and now her unqueenly shrieks were deafening. … I would kill her, yes! … But I’d cured myself” (Gardner 108-110). Grendel believes there is something wrong with him when he has feelings for the queen and needs to attack her in order to cure himself of the feelings. Evil characters do not like to have loving feelings because that is the dichotomy of what