In most stories, there exists a villain or monster that simply carries out a horrible task with little to no depth of character behind these actions. However, when analyzing the characters in Beowulf, the character of Grendel’s Mother is observed dropping many subtle hints throughout the story that reveal a deeper emotional and intellectual level than just a “monster”. Throughout the plot other characters view her as simply a beast, but her actions and reactions show that there may also be reasoning and emotion behind her revenge for her son Grendel’s death by Beowulf. Analyzing Grendel’s Mother’s character in Beowulf shows that her character has a deeper emotional and intellectual level than simply that of a monster, acts out of both maternal
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This is done when the author first describes Grendel’s Mother’s as a “monstrous hell-bride” (1259) that had been “forced down into fearful waters” (1260). The author also uses these details of Grendel’s Mother’s home as a way to get readers to infer that they are dumb and villainous creatures even though that isn’t completely true. Instead of being seen as a stereotypical monster, readers should attempt to see Grendel’s Mother simply as misunderstood. It isn’t that she is too unintelligent or isolated to care about the community, it’s the fact that Grendel’s Mother sees no reason to create a war or fight pointless battles with the Danes, although they have done so much to wrong her and her son in the past by continuously trying to kill them. The fact that she is aware that sometimes you simply have to choose your …show more content…
Just as every action has an equal or opposite reaction, the same can be said for action and reaction relationship between Grendel’s mother, Hrothgar, and Beowulf. In every story, the character’s actions influence the plot, but in this situation, it isn't merely one character's actions that influence the whole story, it is the way that the characters react to every action that creates the plot. If Beowulf had never killed Grendel, his mother would have probably carried on with her life in isolation like she had done for many years before. This was shown to most likely be true when the author declared that “now his mother / had sallied forth on a savage journey, / grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge.” (1276-1278). If the Danes had not killed and humiliated her son, Grendel’s mother may have been able to live instead of having to go to battle with Beowulf. This is exemplified in the previously used quote from lines 1255-1258, where neither the Danes nor Beowulf even recognized her existence until after Beowulf and Grendel’s battle. In retrospect, at least she died a somewhat noble death while defending her son’s honor and giving the Danes and Beowulf exactly what she thought they deserved. Grendel’s Mother simply continued to relentlessly carry out her revenge in the best way she could manage while
This is done when the author first describes Grendel’s Mother’s as a “monstrous hell-bride” (1259) that had been “forced down into fearful waters” (1260). The author also uses these details of Grendel’s Mother’s home as a way to get readers to infer that they are dumb and villainous creatures even though that isn’t completely true. Instead of being seen as a stereotypical monster, readers should attempt to see Grendel’s Mother simply as misunderstood. It isn’t that she is too unintelligent or isolated to care about the community, it’s the fact that Grendel’s Mother sees no reason to create a war or fight pointless battles with the Danes, although they have done so much to wrong her and her son in the past by continuously trying to kill them. The fact that she is aware that sometimes you simply have to choose your …show more content…
Just as every action has an equal or opposite reaction, the same can be said for action and reaction relationship between Grendel’s mother, Hrothgar, and Beowulf. In every story, the character’s actions influence the plot, but in this situation, it isn't merely one character's actions that influence the whole story, it is the way that the characters react to every action that creates the plot. If Beowulf had never killed Grendel, his mother would have probably carried on with her life in isolation like she had done for many years before. This was shown to most likely be true when the author declared that “now his mother / had sallied forth on a savage journey, / grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge.” (1276-1278). If the Danes had not killed and humiliated her son, Grendel’s mother may have been able to live instead of having to go to battle with Beowulf. This is exemplified in the previously used quote from lines 1255-1258, where neither the Danes nor Beowulf even recognized her existence until after Beowulf and Grendel’s battle. In retrospect, at least she died a somewhat noble death while defending her son’s honor and giving the Danes and Beowulf exactly what she thought they deserved. Grendel’s Mother simply continued to relentlessly carry out her revenge in the best way she could manage while