Similarities Between Grendel And Beowulf

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There are differences between Grendel in the novel, Grendel, and the Grendel from Beowulf. Grendel from the novel is into philosophy, teaches himself of human characteristics, and has deep thoughts of on the events on the events in his life. Grendel in Beowulf, is animalistic, cruel, and is thoughtless. Even though both the novel and the epic poem deal with the same character, the differences are great between them. The similarities between both Grendels are that they both are bloodthirsty, and described, but that’s where they typically end. This could be because the author of Grendel, John Gardner, decided to have the character from the poem, but wanted to have his own ideas on why Grendel is the way he is. Seeing as Gardner made Grendel different, Grendel has deep thoughts on philosophy. Grendel is a believer in Solipsism. When Grendel is hanging from a tree, waiting out the bull, he finally, “Understood that, [he] …show more content…

He acts like an animal raised in the woods, which he most likely was. This would most likely affect his personality. “Killing, as often as he could, coming. Alone, bloodthirsty and horrible. (Lines 80-81)” This was quoted from Beowulf. This Grendel is alone, but he is a predator, trying to control his bloodlust. The other Grendel is more civilized in a way. He killed people, but he did it in a way where he wasn’t caught at first. “[They] would send [a drunk] out to the forest to live [because he was stealing], at times I would try to befriend him… in the end, I had to eat them. (Gardner 32-33)” In the beginning of young Grendel’s life, he didn’t have that bloodlust but that grew with his hatred. Grendel was trying to be civilized with his victims as first, but had to eat them in the end. With him being civilized, it could be because of his mother. But the Grendel from Beowulf is thought to always have those animalistic

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