When Grendel states “poor Grendel’s had an accident….so may you all” this is meant to be a curse. This is a curse because after Grendel’s battle with Beowulf he is badly wounded and he knows that he is going to die and the animals that he has tormented gather around him to watch him die. This is when Grendel states “they watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction” (Gardner 174). This shows how mad Grendel is at the animals and that is why the quote is meant to be a curse. Secondly Grendel’s quote is meant to be a curse because Grendel states “they watch with mindless indifferent eyes as calm as midnight black as the chasm below me” (Gardner 173).…
Grendel is the first of three beasts that Beowulf is tasked with defeating in this epic. Grendel ensues immeasurable terror in the hearts of the Danes, but unlike many folkloric creatures, he has a human personality. While Grendel is by no means a dynamic character, he does have the motivation to wreak havoc upon Heorot Hall. He also has enough reason to define a cause for his aggression, and his tendency to be a pariah is clear since he and his mother are the only characters associated with Hell. The mention of Grendel being of "Cain's clan, whom the creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts"(106-107) was likely shocking to Christian audiences, who knew Cain as a malignant soul from the Bible.…
Grendel, since he is a descendent of Cain, is one that is cursed by God himself, forced to wage “his lonely war, inflicting constant cruelties” on people (116: line:164-165). I would say that he is evil because of the hatred of his neighbors have made him bitter, but he is also evil because he is a demon. They call him a “fiend out of hell”, one that loves to work evil in the world (114: line 100). Even though he may be bitter because of the resentment, the fact that he is a demon that came out of hell makes him a monster, something that is evil from the roots of his origin. He is linked to the man Cain who was cursed by God himself for killing his own brother, an event that would conjure up significant resentment of the human race, part of…
My dear king, I come to you with a humbled heart and an open mind. It took a tremendous amount of courage and bravery to come before you today. Due to my reputation and my bloodline I am aware of the fact that I am frowned upon amongst the community. I normally do not show my face around your people because of my demonic demeanor. However, I am a considered one of “your people” and like the rest of the community, I have a right to be here.…
What separates the epic poem Beowulf and John Gardner’s Grendel is how the devil-spawn Grendel, is presented. Is he a monster set on destroying humanity, or is he a misunderstood creature that is just trying to make amends with Hrothgar and his people? Gardner’s Grendel is a retelling of the story of Beowulf, through the monster’s eyes in depth. On the other hand, the epic poem introduces Grendel briefly, yet assertively. He is described as a terrible, evil being spawned by the devil and shunned by the most high.…
Chrissy bradley I found this chapter to be a bit confusing, however after a brief discussion with one of my peers I made some connections. In the fourth chapter Grendel asked the sky why he can't have anyone to talk to and in chapter 5 he finds the dragon to talk. I think the dragon is a nihilist and he says he knows "the beginning, the present, the end . all time, all space." (62, 63).…
Although Beowulf always gets all the attention for being being the good guy, Unferth should have won that praise. Unferth is more noble than Grendel or Beowulf because he displays courage through chasing after Grendel to fight him and save Heorot, he displays honor by challenging Grendel to a fair fight, perseverance through his constant attempts to continue fighting Grendel, and truthfulness through admitting he isn’t strong and he is probably going to lose. To a Viking, being honorable meant staying true to your beliefs. Unferth does this in the mead hall owing to the fact that he doesn’t want to fight Grendel with Grendel at a massive disadvantage.…
He is not only full of anger and evil, darkness but he enjoys terrorizing and killing the ones weaker than him so Grendel ran onto the field and grabbed three Geats and slammed them into the ground, the Geats head bounced off the ground like a bouncy ball. When Grendel…
Horses reared and fell over screaming, ravens flew, crazy speeches, dying or sometimes pretending to be dying, sneaking off” (Gardner 36). He saw the Danish fighting and he didn’t understand their weird ways and behaviors. Grendel’s isolation was one of the biggest causes of him being so cynical, nihilistic, and…
The Danes were peacefully sleeping after a night of song and laughter, when “suddenly then the God cursed brute was creating havoc” (120). The only thing the Danes had done to provoke Grendel was being happy. For this perceived offense, Grendel attacks the Danes and kills and eats thirty of the men in one night. In Heorot, Grendel inflicts “constant cruelties on the people, Atrocious hurt” (152 – 153) by viciously attacking the Danes every night for twelve years. Fearing for their safety, people flee their homes in terror.…
It is not right for God to cast out Grendel family because of their connection to cain. The reason behind his actions are mainly because his ancestor was the first murder in the world and God was punishing Cain and his entire family after him. He felt that he was a different person and did not want to be treated like a monster just because of his family history. Grendel believed that he should not be punished because of what his ancestor did. He felt that he was a different person and did not want to be treated like a monster just because of his family history.…
“Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it” ("Bullying Statistics"). The monster Grendel in Beowulf represents the bullies in any school, because they are both very destructive to people around them. In Beowulf, the Anglo Saxons characterize him as a strong, victorious, and fearless leader.…
The saying “there are two sides to every story” rings especially true when comparing the various personas of Grendel throughout the poem, Beowulf, the story, Grendel, and the YouTube clip shown in class. Grendel’s characterization varies greatly in the movie, book and poem equally. The contrasting viewpoints play off of the theme “Morality vs. Instinct”. Also, Grendel’s character differs based upon the perspective of the writer and his prior experiences with Grendel. However, Grendel’s action remain constant throughout each outlet.…
The king had many other warriors come to him and try to kill Grendel, but all of…
Grendel had already decided that he wanted war and death and slaughter, not peace and companionship. He refused to “parley or make peace with any Dane / nor stop his death-dealing nor pay the death-price” (155-156). His attacks didn’t cease “for twelve winters, seasons of woe,” and by that time, it has become doubtful that his motives are anything more than bloodlust and mindless rage (147). If, in the beginning, Grendel killed for revenge to make up for being cast out from the moment he was born, that motive has long since been lost after twelve winters of murder have passed. He had mercy on no one; “all were endangered; young and old,” and killed anyone he could reach…