Grendel And Beowulf Comparison Essay

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In both Grendel in the novel and the epic poem Beowulf, the character Grendel is perceived in two different perspectives. Although some similarities do connect from both stories, Grendel's character is very different because in the novel, Grendel is a way more sympathetic character that is victimized rather in the epic poem, Grendel is a ruthless crazed monster who murders everyone he wants. Some main differences that help us see who Grendel really is in these two stories are what point of view they were told in, Grendel's isolation, and Grendel being perceived as a victim vs. a murderer.


Grendel the novel by John Gardner is told in first person which helps the readers get a better insight on the character Grendel. The readers get to see Grendel's true emotions and how developed his character is. For example the novel says, "I understood that the world was nothing; a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. I understood that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist. All the rest, I saw, is merely what pushes me, or what I push against, ….as blindly as all that is not myself pushes back." (22). …show more content…

The novel says, "Tedium is the worst pain. The mind lays out the world in blocks, and the hushed blood waits for revenge"(157). Remember how the whole novel is structured around the signs of the zodiac and the irresistible movement of the seasons? What Grendel is going through is the worst kind of torture ever. He has to play the evil guy time after time and he's used to it. Grendel is so over the whole thing. It's not much of a surprise to him when he battles with Beowulf. In the poem, Grendel is just a heartless murder with no reason to tell why he gets to that state. In Beowulf it says, "Killing as often as he could, coming …... Alone, Bloodthirsty and horrible." (80-81) This shows Grendel is perceived as a ruthless

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