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: Direct and Indirect Characterization Beowulf, an epic poem written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, is a story about an epic hero named Beowulf who comes to the Danes to fight many monsters and save the people of the Danes. The first enemy Beowulf fights is a creature named Grendel. Grendel is described as a large non-human creature with large claws. That’s mostly all that is directly given about Grendel’s appearance, leaving the reader to picture Grendel as they like. Besides physical appearance the author does indirectly describe Grendel’s family and his personality.…
The character of Grendel in the novel written by John Gardener is more of an elaborate character, opposed to the character of Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf who is more of a dull character. Its easy to see that one story is told from the first person pov and the other is told from a third person pov, thus allowing the reader to connect more with gardeners Grendel than Beowulf. In Grendel you can have more of an emotional connection rather than just seeing him in Beowulf as a big ugly monster.…
In John Gardner's, Grendel, the protagonist, Grendel goes through major changes about the way he views life and the way he views himself. Of course there are times where he comes to conclusions on his own due to his isolation from the real world, but there are antagonists in the story that do impact Grendel’s image like his mother, the dragon, and beowulf. Grendel is an evil, selfish, pitiful, cynical monster. He tends to put himself on a higher pedestal than the the rest, but the reader puts Grendel on a lower pedestal than others because he thinks too highly of himself. When Grendel talks about his mom or cries for her help, the evil monster image goes away for a while; this is only a temporary change in Grendel’s attitude.…
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…
Throughout the book Grendel by John Gardner, the character of Grendel changes drastically throughout the course of the book. Three characters that really had an impact on Grendel's personality throughout the book are, the Dragon, Grendel's mother, and the Shaper. To begin with the Dragon impacted Grendel's life because he was like his mentor that guided him. For example, in the books it states, “ The dragon smiled, seemed almost friendly for an instance. “ You've been very attentive and had thoughtful,” he said,” all things considered…”Thank…
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.…
Grendel throughout the course of the book changes his identity because of the experiences he has with the characters he meets. He is portrayed as a bloodthirsty descendant of Cain from Beowulf, but is perceived differently in the book Grendel. With this in mind, the three characters that effect Grendel's personality and self image change is Hrothgar, The Shaper and Wealhtheow. First, Grendel's relationship with Hrothgar represents utter hatred.…
Grendel’s self image all depends on His opinions of himself, comparisons, and opinions of other people. Three characters that change his opinion of himself are The Dragon Unferth, And His Mother. Grendel’s mother impacts Grendel’s personality because he wants to be different from her. Grendel’s mother cannot talk and is not free willed like grendel is and that seperates grendels personality apart from his mother’s. “I understood that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears.…
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.…
Grendel's self image modifies all throughout Grendel. To begin, in the beginning, Grendel acts very child like. In many occasions, Grendel seems to be a mama’s boy. for instance, Grendel quotes, “Mama! waa! waa!…
A self image consist of the idea one has of one’s abilities, appearance, and personality. As for Grendel a descendant of the biblical Cain, his self image changes throughout the novel. Either from the visit with the dragon or simply observing the Shaper. From the beginning to the end of the novel Grendel’s self image alters; therefore, I will explain different quotes showing Grendel’s change. Three characters that have had a huge impact on the effect of Grendel’s personality would be Hrothgar, the Dragon, and Grendel’s mother.…
Grendel’s only choice, without this knowing if he is something definite, leads him to take on the only identity that has ever fit, even if it does not fit perfectly. Grendel is a tragic hero, a victim of fate and circumstance, trying unsuccessfully to find his way in the world before his death. His consumption of humans is simply what comes naturally to him and he is a hero for continuing to exist despite his claims that existence is futile and the world is pointless. His heroism is not traditional but it comes in the face of adversity, such as with all…
Grendel is at first, a creature who empathizes for his pain. It causes the reader to question the good and evil; whether the men are the heroes and Grendel is the monster, or if Men are the true horrors. Grendel is just a poorly misunderstood character, but due to the way society treated him, he slowly grew into the monster known as the Wreaker of Meadhalls. One can see that in the beginning, Grendel is a pathetic creature just looking for someone to understand him and to talk to him. But the men do not give him any of that; they abuse and misjudge him.…