Since the arrivals of the characters are pretty spread out between negative and positive, Grendel has his ups and downs. At the very beginning of the story, Grendel seems to be a decent character, and it does not seem like he is really out to get anyone. This is especially true when he is a child; he discusses the games he used to play when he was young. One of those games led to Grendel getting caught in the tree (Gardner 18). Then Hrothgar comes in, and the monster’s character somewhat devolves, because he begins to hate the king.…
Grendel and The Monster Grendel and the Monster have identical similarities through their infinite torments. The afflictions and isolations caused by their society, which forced them to convert into the prime antagonists and menaces of their world. In the initial quote form John Gardner’s book Grendel, where Grendel points out in a subtle manner of solitude, on page 8 .Grendel observes” so it goes with me , age by age .” discretely saying that his lonesome lifestyle has persecuted him since his notice of a repetition of solitude.…
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…
Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight both feature antagonists that could be considered monsters. These two characters are the primary entities that challenge their heroes in their following stories. A monster by normal standards is an ugly and ferocious creature that strike fear into others, but the definition of monster can be loosely taken and adapted into anything. Specifically a source that summons a great amount of anxiety for other people. Grendel and the Green Knight are our horrendous beings that fit the term monster but one creature in mind truly depicts the word monster, Grendel.…
Grendel in the novel is very similar to The Monster in the novel Frankenstein due to the emptiness and aloneness each possesses from asking why they exist. With the feeling of being an outsider to the world, they fear to have no choice but to be feared without the love they both need from others. Towards the end of the novel Frankenstein, Victor finally comes face to face with the creature he has feared for so many years as it progressed on destroying his life. With the questions on why the monster did what he did to his life, he then forgets about what he has done to the monster when created.…
Throughout Grendel by John Gardner we see Grendel as the main character transition from an innocent child to an adult . Through Grendel’s journey he comes up on many obstacles as he starts to see the world for what it really is . Grendel also comes upon many other characters in the book that have an influence in him transitioning from a child into an adult . The character’s that have impacted him was his mother , Shaper , and the Dragon.…
Grendel vs. Frankenstein In the novel “Grendel”, Grendel is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is a terrifying monster who kills and eats humans, but is a lonely, isolated creature. Along the lines of Frankenstein, Grendel is as lonely as a lost puppy.…
Grendel and the Monster for Frankenstein are very unique. They both are antiheros. The characters are lonely and just want friends and a companion to enjoy life with. Both of them are a little mislead and lose control when it gets tough for them. Grendel is an intelligent monster capable of rational thought as well as irrational outbursts of emotion.…
In the epic Beowulf, written by John Green and translated by Seamus Hanley, the concept of simplistic duality is utilized quite frequently. However, this is not the case in the movie, “Beowulf & Grendel”, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. In this day and age, where moviegoers want their films to mirror the original plot of their favorite novels, why would the director of "Beowulf and Grendel" decide to make such a shift? The answer lies in our modern culture. Because our culture differs greatly than that of the Anglo-Saxons, the concept of simplistic duality has become atypical in today’s media.…
The townspeople wholeheartedly believe the Shaper’s opinions that Grendel is a horrible monster. After the Shaper tells his story, Grendel is attacked. He enters the hall to make peace with the townspeople, but they charge at him with weapons (Gardner 51). Grendel attempts to communicate with the townspeople, but they do not listen. Grendel is forced to fight back in order to protect himself.…
Grendel’s Philosophical Lifestyle In the book Grendel the main character, Grendel is a monster that was once rejected by humans making him into an angry and bitter person. Grendel only cares about himself and wants to be the best at what he does which is fighting. Grendel’s whole life he experiences multiple different types of philosophies in which he lives by. Three main philosophies stick out in Grendel's life which he lives by the most, they are Machiavellianism, Solipsism, and Nihilism Throughout Grendel, Grendel is a very bitter person, but cares about his reputation of fighting, his goal is to be the best at it that he can be.…
Monsters The Frankenstein and Grendel novels, both contain the stories of some of literature’s most famous monsters. The characters in these stories exist to remind the world of the pain that stems from rejection and of the consequences of that pain. Grendel and the “Monster” from Frankenstein explored the realms of men in search of acceptance from them and were both met with cruel rejection. Although their stories were written during different time periods, both characters share many characteristics, story elements and overall themes.…
Grendel is a victim of fate and circumstance in that…
Grendel is an innately evil demonic beast and his birthright is to be scorned by man as Cain’s evil offspring. As a result of this ostracism, he takes out his fury on the men in Heorot, killing whomever he can as his own form of warped vengeance stemming from a feeling of isolation as a born outcast. Despite Grendel’s misfortunes, which may garner sympathy from some, his actions are not justified by the situation he is in and, even in a violent, revenge-based society, Grendel is still the heartless beast the Danes see him as and his fate was well deserved. When Grendel is first introduced, he is actually described in a slightly sympathetic light.…
All living beings must face the inevitable fact that we all must die. In the poem, Beowulf, mortality plays an important part in many characters where they must confront an enemy that may lead to their death. The role of mortality is brought up of several times throughout the poem and some people argue that the characters are reminded of their mortality so they can preform as many deeds as they can so they be remembered by it. I argue that the characters are reminded of their mortality as a warning that there is always a stronger opponent out there and some day that opponent is going to be the one to end their lives. I argue this because you see characters like Grendel, Hrothgar, Beowulf and Beowulf’s men face their own mortality.…