Grendel is a victim of insecurity. An insecure person will adopt the traits that he or she is given, simply out of a wish for acceptance. Grendel 's heart yearned for his body to fit in, and he believed that if he acted as the people expected, they would accept him. “I was Grendel, Ruiner of Meadhalls, Wrecker of Kings! But also, as never before, I was alone” (Gardner 80).…
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).…
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, 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…
Grendel's routine for murder was always the same; he was predictable. It is said that, "Grendel's plan, I think, will be / What it has been before, to invade this hall / And gorge his belly with our bodies" (Beowulf 255-257). Beowulf knew exactly how and when Grendel was going to attack, and he tried to plan accordingly in order to take him down. Grendel never strayed away from his plan. Grendel's repetitious actions are what lead to his downfall.…
This paper will examine Grendel as a human like figure; how his misfortune of being cast as an outcast may have affected his decision to attack the innocent. Grendel, a monster, and son to a jealous protective being; a being who lurked in the darkest corners of the earth. The two are said to have both exhibited humanlike qualities. So much so, that they can feel emotions, and communicate using noise. Grendel, an outcast to society lurks in the night killing the men in a nearby meadhall.…
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…
Through him, we can see what the Anglo-Saxons considered negative character traits. Grendel is described as a fatherless descendant of Cain. He “had dwelt for a time In misery among the banished…
"Ah, the unfairness of everything, . . . " says Grendel after seeing a deer run away from him in fright (Gardner 8). This is only the beginning of John Gardner 's long plight to help readers understand the complex character of Grendel in the novel, Grendel. After reading the original epic Beowulf, many view Grendel as an evil, terrifying monster whose favorite pastime is munching on humans. Readers then learn of the impressive killing of Grendel by the heroic Beowulf, and rejoice in the fact that the wicked monster is dead.…
The saying “there are two sides to every story” rings especially true when comparing the various personas of Grendel throughout the poem, Beowulf, the story, Grendel, and the YouTube clip shown in class. Grendel’s characterization varies greatly in the movie, book and poem equally. The contrasting viewpoints play off of the theme “Morality vs. Instinct”. Also, Grendel’s character differs based upon the perspective of the writer and his prior experiences with Grendel. However, Grendel’s action remain constant throughout each outlet.…
To begin with, one reason for Grendel’s tendency to perform harmful actions is his self-loathing. Grendel does not want to live and has no acceptance for himself; he is not at all comfortable in his own skin.…
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.…
In this epic poem there are characters which bring the poem alive. In the poems of Beowulf there were the epic hero and the dangerous monster. Grendel represents the epitome of an antagonist because he is an outcast, vicious, and cunning. Throughout the first poem, we learned how Grendel is an outcast.…
The Good, the Bad, and Beowulf Although no confirmation can be made regarding Beowulf’s author, an indisputable aspect of the great epic poem is its Anglo-Saxon origin. In fact, this Old English influence plays a significant role in the work, and ultimately governs the behaviors and conduct demonstrated in the poem. These heroic code behaviors exemplified typically include: a courtly demeanor, unparalleled strength, and valor. However, perhaps the most prominent value evidenced in Beowulf, is the inherent display of morality.…
Grendel and his mother:Human beings or Monsters Human nature is found deep within all of living creatures. We all share the same characteristic and feelings; those of anger, jealousy, revenge, and loneliness. Throughout most famous literature, it seems that many antagonist possesses these qualities which leads to conflict. In the epic poem Beowulf the case is much the same for the antagonists,Grendel and his mother, who can be characterized by these qualities. In Charles W. Kennedy’s translation of the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel and his mother have more humanistic qualities than in being monsters.…