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Satire in Grendel
"The state is an organization of violence, a monopoly in what it is pleased to call legitimate violence (Gardner, 119)." This excerpt from John Gardner's Grendel shows one of the many issues he deals with in his satire of man, and that is the issue of the use of violence in society. Gardner shows this throughout the book, but most prominently in chapter eight, in which we learn of the arrival of Hrothulf, Hrothgar's nephew, at Herot.
Hrothgar recognizes the evil in Hrothgar's kingdom. He discusses the problems of the government with an old man known as "Red Horse". The point made in the opening quote is that "Men's violence is chained to good (i.e., to the king): legitimate force that chops off the bread-thief's neck and wipes its axe. Death by the book (Gardner, 114)." This means that the government punishes civilian violence, as well as other crimes, by using the same violence it has prohibited, but viewing it as "legitimate" violence. Hrothulf states that "by violence they lock us in - you and me, old man: subdue our vile, unkingly violence (Gardn...
Hrothgar then tells Beowulf, “Lo, this may one say who works truth and right for the folk, recalls all things far distant, an old guardian of ...
Beowulf starts out talking about Herot and Grendel attacking the mead hall. Hrothgar and his people describe Grendel as this horrible and ugly monster that everyone is terrified of. Everybody
...her raids. In Grendel, it is shown that the people of the kingdom resent Beowulf, even though he’s ridding the town of evil he is making everyone look bad for doing it. It’s showing that the kingdom of Hrothgar isn’t strong enough to defeat Grendel and that they need help. The people of the kingdom don’t need this, and though they boast in Beowulf, they very much resent the fact that he has came over here to defend another country that’s not his own kingdom.
Theme is the message of the story, while character development is the way the author creates the character within the novel. In the novel Grendel, by John Gardner, the reader gathers a lot information in regards to the changes of Grendel’s development. The way Gardner presents Grendel is a key element towards the plot of the story. Gardner does a great job to embody the stages towards the change of Grendel’s image. Throughout the story, the reader could see Grendel first not knowing the real world, then finally realizing what life is. Grendel is used in Grendel as symbol that represents evil. It does not matter if a character thinks there on the good side or bad side; it is how the society views them. Grendel is a victim of ancestry and society, which which implies that Grendel is automatically fraud. Gardner also potrays the theme of with isolation, could create hatred to the world and a different way of living.
The presence of a bull prompts a shift in Grendel’s purpose in life from remaining obedient to his mother as a young child to being the creator of the world as he transitions into adulthood. As a young monster, Grendel motive’s coincide with his mother since she is the only person who Grendel is able to communicate with. He feels “Of all the creatures I knew, only my mother really looked at me...We were one thing, like the wall and the rock growing out from it… ‘Please, Mama!’ I sobbed as if heartbroken” (Gardner 17-19). His emotions demonstrate that as a child, he doesn’t consider himself as an individual but rather as embodying the same identity as his mother, which is further emphasized by the use of the simile. Additionally, Grendel’s use
Various people know that “curiosity killed the cat” but that is not the initial statement. In 1598, during Every Man in His Humour by English playwright Ben Jonson, the expression was first known as “care’ll kill a cat” (1). This phrase doesn’t implicate care as to nurture or tend to, but rather worry or sorrow. The remark “curiosity killed the cat” is commonly used when one wants another to stop asking nonessential questions. Much like the cat in the play, the 1971 novel Grendel by John Gardner, also holds a beast curious about his life and surroundings. In the novel, Grendel is portrayed as a child with a lack of understanding and a need to adventure throughout the world. Although he is scared to venture too far from his
As clearly indicated through the characters of Beowulf and Hrothgar, the ruler-warrior relationship during times of great danger was very important for the survival of the Anglo-Saxons. As long as this relationship remained stable, both the ruler and warrior would remain protected, rewarded, and fairly happy. Beowulf and Hrothgar both men of great valor, were praised by all. This simple system set up between warrior and leader was the basis of society at the times, and destroying this structure would surely destroy a tribe's chances of survival in this time of peril. Therefore, if Beowulf did not honor the Danes' lord and Grendel was allowed to live, Hrothgar and the Danes would surely see their demise. This is perhaps why bravery was of such high necessity in the Anglo-Saxon society.
Grendel, is John Gardner’s 1971 novel that is set in Fourth Century A.D. Gardner portrays Grendel as the visible monster, in that he is known by all the people as being a big scary murderer who is a descendent of Cain, and since most people are quick to judge this is how Grendel’s reputation began. Gardners’s use of good and evil in his novel shows that not all monsters are what you expect them to be, and sometimes they aren’t always the obvious culprit. Throughout his novel, Gardners’ use of evil shows that sometimes things can be misinterpreted, and his use of good shows that you don’t need to have a bad reputation or a scary face in order to be evil. This is why Grendels’ portrayal in the novel is hidden and why he isn’t the true monster.
Although, authors usually portray monsters as two dimensional and stereotypical killers with no conscious and having no human traits that is not how gardner portrayed grendal in his telling of grendel. Gardner gives depth to grendel telling his side of the story through emotion and description giving him human characteristics to make him seem more human like. Gardner’s portrayal of Grendel is quite the opposite of the epic poem, where the poem leaves grendel to be remembered as only a psychotic
Beowulf, the bravest of all warriors, set sail to the distant land of the Danes. He heard of the terror that came upon the kingdom and he went in attempt to allow the people to be reassured. The Geats waited 14 years before stepping up and offering a hand to king Hrothgar. Beowulf was able to do this, not just because the omens were good but because the Danes were their allies and he wanted to help a suffering kingdom. At nightfall, on the day he landed on the shores, Beowulf witnesses what has been terrorizing the kingdom, a monster called Grendel killed people and took over the mead hall. Beowulf killed the monster by tearing his arm off of his body. Through the killing of the monster, order was restored in the Danish kingdom once again. “A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel, ended the grief, the sorrow, the suffering forced on Hrothgar’s helpless people by a bloodthirsty fiend.” (Raffel 830-833).
Time after time he charges into Herot Hall, slaughtering the warriors like sheep, and feasting on them. Denmark trembles in fear and grief as Grendel terrorizes their land. The people live in fear for their family and friends. Grendel is the Anglo-Saxon embodiment of what is dark, terrifying, and threatening. Grendel is an enemy of God. He can not know God’s great love. He is a powerful ogre that resides in the dark, wet marshes. He is a shadow of death that grows impatient with the Danes. He delights in their slaughter. No crime or savage assault would quench his thirst for evil. For evil can never be quenched. Grendel is a shepherd of evil and a guardian of crime. Grendel exhibits his envy towards the warriors as Cain did to his brother. Jealousy breed loneliness.
On the surface, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels appears to be a travel log, made to chronicle the adventures of a man, Lemuel Gulliver, on the four most incredible voyages imaginable. Primarily, however, Gulliver's Travels is a work of satire. "Gulliver is neither a fully developed character nor even an altogether distinguishable persona; rather, he is a satiric device enabling Swift to score satirical points" (Rodino 124). Indeed, whereas the work begins with more specific satire, attacking perhaps one political machine or aimed at one particular custom in each instance, it finishes with "the most savage onslaught on humanity ever written," satirizing the whole of the human condition. (Murry 3). In order to convey this satire, Gulliver is taken on four adventures, driven by fate, a restless spirit, and the pen of Swift. Gulliver's first journey takes him to the Land of Lilliput, where he finds himself a giant among six inch tall beings. His next journey brings him to Brobdingnag, where his situation is reversed: now he is the midget in a land of giants. His third journey leads him to Laputa, the floating island, inhabited by strange (although similarly sized) beings who derive their whole culture from music and mathematics. Gulliver's fourth and final journey places him in the land of the Houyhnhnm, a society of intelligent, reasoning horses. As Swift leads Gulliver on these four fantastical journeys, Gulliver's perceptions of himself and the people and things around him change, giving Swift ample opportunity to inject into the story both irony and satire of the England of his day and of the human condition.
...zes humanity in this scene by portraying them as the evil beings instead of Grendel who is the helpless victim of their savage assault. The men attack Grendel solely because they could not understand him and because of his appearance. Grendel makes no attempt to harm the men but to communicate with them while they are the ones that savagely tried to kill him. John Gardner portrays the men as the real monsters who mercilessly tried to kill Grendel while he was defenseless. Grendel has another revelation due to this attack in where he states. “The world resists me and I resist the world… “That’s all there is.”(Gardner, 28) Grendel makes this assertion as a means to organized the ways he perceives the world. While he once saw the world as a confusing array of frightening images, now he can separate the world into categories: those who do not resemble him and himself.
Gulliver’s Travels is a satirical novel about a sailor’s adventures through strange lands; the author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift, uses these adventures to satirize the English society. The most prevalent satire is used as Gulliver travels through the lands of Lilliput, Brombdinag, and the Houyhnhnms.
Gulliver's Travels was written during an era of change known as the Reformation Period. The way this book is written suggests some of the political themes from that time period, including the well-known satire. These themes are displayed throughout Gulliver's Travels, and even sometimes reflect upon today's society.