The Similarities Between 'Grendel And Beowulf'

Although the novel Grendel and the poem Beowulf are based on the same story line, the main character Grendel is portrayed differently in the two stories. In Grendel, he is born innocent and lives his life with pure curiosity until he feels so alone that he turns to anger; However in Beowulf, Grendel is born evil and kills without any guilt. His actions are very similar in both the stories, but his personality and the portrayal of life is completely different. In Grendel we can better understand him because it is told in first person so we are basically inside Grendel’s head as we read. In the beginning of the novel Grendel begins by giving his life story with the belief that he is, and will always remain an outsider. He goes to say that he is “Pointless, ridiculous monster crouched in the shadows, stinking …show more content…
He knows what he is doing is evil although he does it anyways. Grendel states “But deer, like rabbits and bears and even men, can make, concerning my race, no delicate distinctions. That is their happiness: they see all life without observing it. They're buried like crabs in mud. Except men, of course.” This statement explains the fear that Grendel, the young monster experiences because from the moment Grendel meets man, he knows there is something special about them. They have senses, and can interpret things, and think and plan. This confuses him and makes him somewhat vulnerable which in term make him cautious and aware. This is the total opposite in Beowulf, because Grendel is not aware of the harm he is doing and does not care about the feelings of the humans and this is expressed when “Blood dripping behind him, back To his lair, delighted with his nights slaughter.” This statement says that Grendel is delighted with that nights slaughter, in that, there is no remorse, just a cold blood killer who is not aware of the harm he is doing to the