Grendel; Good or Evil?
Many wonder about the beast of Beowulf and whether he is evil, or just a lonely beast in a world full of humans. The readers, as humans, see the monstrous acts performed by Grendel as cruel and inconsiderate, therefore calling Grendel what he is acclaimed to be, evil. Although, Grendel by John Gardner gives the readers a look on the inside of his life and experiences, told from Grendel himself. There is now a new point of view on the classic epic, showcasing the personal thoughts and feelings of Grendel. This story shows that he is not an evil beast, he has feelings and thoughts and only commits his crimes as an act of selflessness.
One of the many times Grendel has performed an act of terror, he showed remorse for the …show more content…
He is the only of his kind in a world full of humans. Being lonely can drive someone to extreme measures, explaining why Grendel has been viciously murdering the people around him. “I wept and sobbed. “Poor Grendel will hang here and starve to death,” I told myself, “and no one will ever even miss him!” The thought enraged me.” (Gardner 18) Grendel feels very lonely which causes him to also be angry at the fact that no one cares for him. At this point in the text Gardner starts off the novel by making the reader feel sympathy for Grendel. Showing he is all alone in the world makes the reader feel the thoughts and feelings he experiences, therefore causing sympathy from the reader. Grendel’s anger from his loneliness causes him to harm the people and take out his emotions on them. Loneliness can have a serious impact on one’s life, and one of the many ways to overcome it is to have another person to help get through it. “Relief from loneliness requires the cooperation of at least one other person and the longer someone is lonely the less able they are to get that cooperation. Thus the frustration may lead to diminished personal control and a desire to escape the emotional pain with food, drink, unwise sexual encounters, avoidance, or accepting relationships that aren’t healthy.” (The Three Factors of Loneliness, Karyn Hall PhD) Throughout this journey of loneliness maybe Grendel created this unhealthy relationship to try and
Many wonder about the beast of Beowulf and whether he is evil, or just a lonely beast in a world full of humans. The readers, as humans, see the monstrous acts performed by Grendel as cruel and inconsiderate, therefore calling Grendel what he is acclaimed to be, evil. Although, Grendel by John Gardner gives the readers a look on the inside of his life and experiences, told from Grendel himself. There is now a new point of view on the classic epic, showcasing the personal thoughts and feelings of Grendel. This story shows that he is not an evil beast, he has feelings and thoughts and only commits his crimes as an act of selflessness.
One of the many times Grendel has performed an act of terror, he showed remorse for the …show more content…
He is the only of his kind in a world full of humans. Being lonely can drive someone to extreme measures, explaining why Grendel has been viciously murdering the people around him. “I wept and sobbed. “Poor Grendel will hang here and starve to death,” I told myself, “and no one will ever even miss him!” The thought enraged me.” (Gardner 18) Grendel feels very lonely which causes him to also be angry at the fact that no one cares for him. At this point in the text Gardner starts off the novel by making the reader feel sympathy for Grendel. Showing he is all alone in the world makes the reader feel the thoughts and feelings he experiences, therefore causing sympathy from the reader. Grendel’s anger from his loneliness causes him to harm the people and take out his emotions on them. Loneliness can have a serious impact on one’s life, and one of the many ways to overcome it is to have another person to help get through it. “Relief from loneliness requires the cooperation of at least one other person and the longer someone is lonely the less able they are to get that cooperation. Thus the frustration may lead to diminished personal control and a desire to escape the emotional pain with food, drink, unwise sexual encounters, avoidance, or accepting relationships that aren’t healthy.” (The Three Factors of Loneliness, Karyn Hall PhD) Throughout this journey of loneliness maybe Grendel created this unhealthy relationship to try and