The relationship between heroes and monsters is demonstrated in Anglo-Saxon literature,specifically in Grendel and Beowulf. The association between heroes and monsters is demonstrated by the relationship between Beowulf and Grendel in both the epic and novel. Beowulf is the story of a hero named Beowulf saving Herot. The mead hall of Herot has been plagued for twelve years by attacks from an evil monster named Grendel who kills multiple inhabitants of Herot nightly. Beowulf ultimately defeats Grendel and his mother, but he dies as a result of his encounter with the Dragon, a character who, in the story, represents Satan and is all knowing and seeing. Grendel is the story of a monster who, from childhood, has learned that mankind is one of the greatest threats to him. Over the course of Grendel’s twelve years on earth, he attacks Herot and kills men from Herot nearly every night. Grendel …show more content…
This trait is shown in Grendel when Grendel is listening to the songs of the Shaper. “Some evil inside myself pushed out into the trees. I knew what I knew, the mindless, mechanical bruteness of things, and when the harper's lure drew my mind away to hopeful dreams, the dark of what was and always was reached out and snatched at my feet” (Gardner 54). The quote demonstrates how Grendel is able to have thoughts that are good, but he is veered away from them. Though Grendel has good thoughts, his thoughts are always leading to evil and darkness. This is also shown through his actions. Grendel is capable of doing good deeds but he allows the evilness to enter his actions. This is shown when Grendel is capable of having feelings of affection or “good” feelings for Wealtheow, but then later in the book, he almost kills her. This is shown multiple times throughout the book. Grendel most often chooses to carry out the evil actions though he is capable of good
In both works, Beowulf and Grendel, Grendel himself is generally given the same connotations. He is given kennings, called names, referred to as the evil spawn of Cain, and even viewed as a monster; but why? Why in both books is he a wicked, horrible, person who is harshly excluded from everyone? After stumbling upon John Gardner's book, it was halfway expected that some excuse would be made for Grendel; that he wasn't really the inexorable monster the thanes in Beowulf portrayed him as. But all it really did was make him worse. What is the message we are being sent about Grendel?
The book Grendel, written by John Gardner, and the poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, both have very distinct opinions on what role each character plays. The translator of Beowulf and the writer of Grendel follow the idea that everyone has a story. A story is the writer’s perspective on a character’s personality, the way people in the story see and treat the character, and the way it ties the ideas together. There are many examples in these two writings of this concept, but the main instances connect with the lives of Grendel, Beowulf, and Unferth.
Grendel, as a character, has a much more complex identity than just a monster and a human. Some, such as Ruud, classify him as a mixture of three different characteristics, but alone, they tend to conflict with each other. By making the connection that Grendel represents immorality, the previous idea makes more sense, while simultaneously incorporating more aspects of the character into the analysis. In either case, Grendel represents much more than meets the eye, and provides a fascinating insight into
Grendel in the novel Grendel by John Gardner, and Grendel in the poem Beowulf, which has an unknown author, presents two different views of the same character due to the perception differences of Gardner and the unknown author. Grendel in Beowulf and the story of his namesake both have notable similarities and differences that make each distinctive from one another.
Beowulf is the epic story of a young hero who battles the monster Grendel and his mother. Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, the son of Ecgtheow who voyages to Heorot, the hall of Hrothgar, king of the Danes and the great grandson of the hero Scyld Scefing. There at Heorot, Beowulf destroys the monster Grendel, who for twelve years has haunted the hall by night and slain all he found therein. When Grendel's mother, in revenge, makes an attack on the hall, Beowulf seeks her out and kills her in her home beneath the waters.
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
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
The general definition of a hero is, “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Although, the interpretation of a hero is always dependant on the society in which the hero resides. The “hero”, Beowulf, is not depicted the same way as he is in the self-titled poem “Beowulf” as he is in Grendel. The poem “Beowulf” is said to emerge from the Anglo-Saxon period or the 5th-6th century. It was later translated by Burton Raffel. The “hero” of the poem, Beowulf, is a glorified Geatish warrior whose hunger for fame and wealth drives him to the land of the Danes to rid of the evil monster, Grendel. He is depicted as a strong, brave, and courageous man and admired by the Danes. On the other hand,
Grendel, the first monster encountered in Beowulf, is introduced as a creature who leaves terror and causes harm. However, he is not really described physically, meaning that his characteristics and appearances are of no importance in the poem rather it is his actions that are. It is learned that Grendel is
as men. She has been sleeping down in her dark and dingy cave below the world
"That night, Beowulf and his men stay inside Herot. While his men sleep, Beowulf lies awake, eager to meet with Grendel" (Raffel Burton- 48). In the epic, Beowulf establishes himself as a highly profitable warrior, on a mission to serve and protect. Immediately, Beowulf is presumed to be a good force, taking on Grendel who is perceived to be a descendant of Cain, who personifies evil. A valiant warrior, Beowulf protests that he shall take on the monster, stripped of weapons and armor. When the evil monster Grendel attacked the people of Herot, Beowulf chose to fight Grendel and diminish the evil that he represents. While he and his men sleep, Grendel arrives to wreak havoc on the mead-hall.
This is controlled by appetite and impulse, as seen in Grendel 's drastic urges to go on a killing spree in the mead hall killing the drunken Danes. Grendel hides away watching everything and everyone: hiding behind sheds or in a tree. Grendel speaks of his longings for friendships; of his captivity in his mythical role; of his disdain for his roots, as seen in the quote describing is an affinity for his mother. "When I sleep, she presses close to me, half buries me under her thistly fur and fat. Dool-Dool," she moans. She drools and weeps. "Warrovish," she whimpers, and tears at herself. Hanks of fur come away in her claws. I see gray hide." (Gardner 146) Where as, in the poem Beowulf, Grendel is made out to be a savage monster full of evil just looking to kill with no sense of remorse or good qualities. These qualities are seen when the narrator speaks "Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs, bearing God 's hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill." (285 - 287) Giving the appearance and goals Grendel portrayed in the epic poem
Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth.
In the beginning of the story, a mythical monster named Grendel who is attacking King Hrothgar’s mead hall Herot. When Beowulf hears of this tragedy, he volunteers to go and fight the mythical beast. The author wrote, “So Beowulf chose the mightiest men he could find the bravest and the best of the Geats, fourteen In all.” Once Beowulf arrives, he is given a feast and then decides to stay in Herot overnight to confront Grendel. Grendel then arrives and kills one of the Geats before Beowulf can get into the battle. Beowulf then goes hand-to-hand against Grendel and ends up tearing off Grendel’s shoulder. Grendel then retreats to his lair to die. This is only a mere example of why Beowulf is a hero.
The story of Beowulf is a heroic epic chronicling the illustrious deeds of the great Geatish warrior Beowulf, who voyages across the seas to rid the Danes of an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourge of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel and his role in the epic poem. John Gardner in his book, Grendel set out to change the reader’s perception of Grendel and his role in Beowulf by narrating the story through Grendel’s point of view. John Gardner transforms the perceived terrible evil fiend who is Grendel into a lonely but intelligent outcast who bears a striking resemblance to his human adversaries. In Grendel, John Gardner portrays Grendel as an intelligent being capable of rational thought as well as displaying outbursts of emotion. He portrays Grendel as a hurt individual and as a victim of oppression ostracized from civilization. The author of Beowulf portrays Grendel as the typical monster archetype as compared to John Gardner’s representation of Grendel as an outcast archetype.