Grendel Is Evil Analysis

Is Grendel Evil? Grendel is comparable to the people under Hrothgar’s control. The more Grendel needs to relate to the people the more lonely he feels. Gardner isolates Grendel progressively by not allowing him to communicate with his mother or the townspeople effectively. Morality comes into question when one describes what evil is. Does the feeling of loneliness cause Grendel to become evil or does society force him to become evil? Grendel is not evil because society forces him to be this way and the reader should sympathize with him. When Grendel attempts to communicate with the king, the author writes, “The king snatched and ax from the man beside him and, without any warning, he hurled it at me…’You’re all crazy,’ I tried to yell, but it came out a moan” (Gardner 27). This is one instance when Grendel wants to communicate with the king/townspeople and the people reject him. The more the people reject Grendel the more lonely he feels. Loneliness causes Grendel to trust the dragon, and the dragon informs Grendel that the people need him to kill. In this cause and effect situation the townspeople are the reason that Grendel goes into a …show more content…
John Gardner writes, “The two groups would fight as allies after that, except that now and then they betrayed each other, one shooting the other from behind for some reason, or stealing the other groups gold, some midnight, or sneaking into bed with the other group’s wives and daughters.” The actions occurred after each meadhill was destroyed. These actions correspond with Grendel’s after the King tried to kill him. Machiavelli mentions in his work that is easier to betray someone who is loved rather than one who is feared. Grendel feared the people after the attack in the tree. The dragon placed a spell which made him invincible and then the town feared him. Again the cause and effect by the society caused him to be