In the novel Grendel and poem Beowulf, both stories, talk about the character Grendel. Grendel is a monster in the during the Anglo Saxon period. Grendel in the novel is different yet similar to Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf because Grendel is portrayed as a “confident killer” in both the poem and novel, but in the novel Grendel’s character develops over time and shows feelings of loneliness.
In both the novel Grendel and the poem Beowulf, the character Grendel is portrayed as a killer. In Grendel, he states “Some three of four nights later I launched my first raid. I burst in when they were all asleep, snatched seven from their beds, and slit them open and devoured them on the spot. I felt a strange, unearthly joy” (Gardner 79). In the poem the translator, Raffel Burton, writes “He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies. The blood dripping behind him, back his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter” (37-40). In both of these quotes …show more content…
In Grendel, his understanding of the world changes when he says “I understand the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. I understand that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist” (Gardner 21-22). As for the poem on the other hand it states “So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes. Killing as often as he could, coming alone, blood thirsty and horrible” (79-81). From these two quotes in the novel Grendel does changes from an innocent monster to a violent killer as the 12 years progress. He wasn’t always evil. After he encountered the humans, he realized how undesirable he was. Compared to Beowulf, Grendel was seen as a pretty static character, He was viewed as a blood-thirsty monster who enjoyed torturing the
In both the novel Grendel and the poem Beowulf, the character Grendel is portrayed as a killer. In Grendel, he states “Some three of four nights later I launched my first raid. I burst in when they were all asleep, snatched seven from their beds, and slit them open and devoured them on the spot. I felt a strange, unearthly joy” (Gardner 79). In the poem the translator, Raffel Burton, writes “He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies. The blood dripping behind him, back his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter” (37-40). In both of these quotes …show more content…
In Grendel, his understanding of the world changes when he says “I understand the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. I understand that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist” (Gardner 21-22). As for the poem on the other hand it states “So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes. Killing as often as he could, coming alone, blood thirsty and horrible” (79-81). From these two quotes in the novel Grendel does changes from an innocent monster to a violent killer as the 12 years progress. He wasn’t always evil. After he encountered the humans, he realized how undesirable he was. Compared to Beowulf, Grendel was seen as a pretty static character, He was viewed as a blood-thirsty monster who enjoyed torturing the