When we think of evil people and creatures we think they have no feelings, emotions, or remorse for what they are doing. Many believe that such people are born this way and there is nothing we can do to change them but they are wrong. People are taught to hate just like Grendel in the story of Beowulf. People thought he was born evil just because he killed others. They never knew anything about Grendel’s life or who he really was. Society made Grendel evil because he was disliked by many people and animals, he lived in a bad place, and he did not have the love of his mother.
The first reason why Grendel is not inherently evil is because he was disliked by many people and animals. In the text, the author writes, “Till the monster stirred,
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that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. (16-19)”. The people refer to Grendel as a demon and a fiend. A demon and a fiend are terms used to describe cruel and wicked people and these words are used to illustrate Grendel because the people are afraid of him for killing their peers. Another example is when Grendel is coming to Herot. The text states, “Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred Grendel came…(190-192)”. He was painted as being hated by God. The people of Herot are very religious and value God. They all want to be accepted by God so they can make it into heaven and if you are not accepted by God then you are unworthy and less than those who are accepted. They say that Grendel is hated by God so that he seems beneath the people of Herot to further justify their view of Grendel as a monster. Finally, while Grendel is dying he describes his surroundings in his home. Grendel says, “I am slick with blood. I discover I no longer feel pain. Animals gather around me, enemies of old, to watch me die. (Grendel, 173)”. The animals are Grendel’s enemies and they came to watch him die. They did not try to help him or even say anything to him to provide comfort in his final hours. They just let him suffer because they did not care about Grendel’s feelings. Another reason is because Grendel lived in a bad place.
In the story the narrator says, “Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs...Grendel came… (190-192)”. A marsh is a low lying area that is flooded in wet seasons and at high tide. A bog is a wet muddy ground too soft to support a heavy body and a wetland with acid, peaty soil, and typically dominated by peat moss. They are describing Grendel’s home as a fen where it is gross, smelly, and uncomfortable to be in to show that he himself is gross, smelly and uncomfortable to be around. Secondly, the author also describes Grendel’s home as a swamp, “Up from his swampland, sliding silently toward that gold-shining hall. (195-196)”. The writer describes Grendel’s home as a swampland and then immediately after describes Herot as this beautiful place with golden halls to show that Grendel’s home is uglier, less expensive, less important, and less pleasant than Herot to make the reader infer that Grendel is less than them because he does not live in a nice place with lavish things. Finally, Beowulf describes Grendel’s home when he goes to fight his mother. Beowulf says, “They live in secret places, windy cliffs, wolf-dens where water pours from the rocks, then runs underground, where mist steams like black clouds, and the groves of trees growing out over their lake are all covered with frozen spray, and wind down snakelike roots that reach as far as the water and help keep it dark. At night the lake burns like a …show more content…
torch. No one knows its bottom, No wisdom reaches such depths. A deer, hunted through the woods by packs of hounds, a stag with great horns, though driven through the forest from faraway places, prefers to die on those shores, refuses to save its life in that water. (325-339)”. The author uses words like black clouds, frozen spray, and snakelike to convey an ominous image to the reader so that they get an uneasy feeling and think that Grendel’s home is not a good place to be. Then the author continues to state that animals would rather die on its shores by wolves then go into the water because everyone knows it is worst than death to enter the lake. Lastly, Grendel did not have the love of his mother.
In this quote from Grendel, as Grendel is dying he calls out to his mother. Grendel yells, “ ‘Mama, Mama! I’m dying!’ But her love is history. (Grendel, 173)”. He was crying out to his mother for help and comfort but she was nowhere to be found. She had abandoned him. If she loved her son she would be there for him when he needed her the most but she was not. She left him because she did not care about him. Another example is when Grendel’s mother is described as Greedy. In the text it reads, “And all at once the greedy she-wolf who’d ruled those waters for half a hundred years discovered him.(354-356)”. This shows that Grendel’s mother only cares about herself. She is trying to build her name and prove she is better than her son by killing Beowulf. The last example is when Grendel’s mother is about to kill Beowulf. Beowulf describes the scene and says, “Squatting with her weight on his stomach, she drew a dagger, brown with dried blood… (421-422)”. She has killed before and is used to it. She shows no regret because she is doing this out of anger. This is Greed in itself. She desires nothing more than for Beowulf to be dead and the reason people can conclude that it is not for the death of her son is because she wasn't there for him when he was dying. If she was it would show that she cared which would better explain the reason for her desire to kill Beowulf but since she was not there we can infer that she wants to kill
Beowulf for herself and not for her son. On the other hand, people may argue that Grendel is evil because he kills without any empathy or remorse. In the text it says “Grendel snatched at the first Geat he came to , ripped him apart, cut his body to bits with his powerful jaws, drank the blood from his veins, and bolted him down, hands and feet. (219-223)”. This does show how Grendel mercilessly killed the Danes but the text is also written from Beowulf’s point of view. The story is in favor of Beowulf so it will paint Grendel as the monster because every hero needs a monster to kill. If Grendel is the Monster and nothing more than it justifies Beowulf killing him. In this piece of text from Grendel which is Grendel’s point of view, it says, “I look down past stars to a terrifying darkness. I seem to recognize the place, but it’s impossible. ‘Accident,’ I whisper. I will fall. I seem to desire the fall, and though I fight it with all my will I know in advance that I can’t win. Standing baffled, quaking with fear, three feet from a nightmare cliff, I find myself, incredibly moving toward it. (Grendel, 173)”. Grendel is scared. He says accident referring to him killing people meaning he regrets it and as he is about to die he understands how they felt. If he was truly evil he would not care even on his deathbed. Seeing things from Beowulf’s point of view shows Grendel in any way Beowulf wants to portray him and painting Grendel as evil dehumanizes him so the reader can never see Grendel as anything more than a monster defending Beowulf’s actions against Grendel. Everyone has flaws. Beowulf has flaws and Grendel has flaws. Beowulf is not evil though and neither is Grendel. Grendel wasn’t born evil. Hatred has to be taught. Babies cannot comprehend hatred because it is not an instinctual thought. Society is taught to judge others by their skin color, their religion, income, background, heritage, and anything else that can make you different from others. Grendel learned to be evil because he was disliked by many people and animals which made him an outsider, he lived in a bad place which influenced his behavior, and his mother did not love him which denied him an essential component of childhood that teaches him right versus wrong. Turning to an evil, negative state of mind is Grendel’s way of putting a wall of protection around himself to prevent his feelings from being hurt again because he has been through so much emotional trauma already that being evil and mean makes his pain mentally bearable.
Rudd cites various sections of the poem, describing Grendel as a “night-monster of the border lands” (Rudd 3), and the translation of the poem says that Grendel was, “...Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God…” (Raffel 42). Rudd also gives evidence for Grendel being seen as demonic, and reasons that Grendel attacks the Danes out of “...not mere thirst for gore, as we might suspect… but rather… envy of the Danes’ happiness- and envy was a chief characteristic of the medieval devil.” (Ruud 5). He then ties this devilish persona to Grendel’s humanistic aspects, stating Grendel has a heathen soul, and therefore he must be human. Ruud also notes, however, that there are critics who question the validity of portraying Grendel as this three-sided figure, asking questions such as, “How can Grendel be a devil when he has a physical body? How can he be a man when he is so manifestly bestial?” (Ruud 7). Ruud believes that the original poet of Beowulf is doing this for effect rather than consistency, but a more reasonable explanation that encompasses all three characteristics is that Grendel represents the evil in
What's the difference between good and evil? In John Gardner’s classic tale Grendel the line between good and evil is exceedingly blurred. Gardner does a phenomenal job of forcing the reader to question who the real hero of the story is. So is Grendel evil or simply misunderstood? To answer this question one must look at his basic character traits. Grendel is an unloving creature, he enjoys killing and torturing humans, and when he shows any sort of mercy, he later regrets it. Due to these facts it is impossible to label him as “good”.
To begin, the setting of where Beowulf and Grendel live, are very distinct. Beowulf creates a lavish hall, called Heorot, to house his army of men, when the hall is finished the Danish warriors gather together
A being cursed for evil goes through life looking for meaning. How can a monster of biblically banished descent be challenged with ideas of morality. In John Gardner’s postmodern novel Grendel, Grendel, explores and speculates on the meaning of life, humanity, and existence while being cursed to life as a monster. Due to his own bleak existence and the observations he has made of mean, Grendel views life as meaningless. Even though he is a descendent of Cain, the distinction between good and evil is blurred in Grendel’s perspective. How can a monster view morality when he is the wicked one yet he watches humans kill each other for bloodshed? Grendel is trying to make sense of an absurd world while the different theories shape his own identity.
In short, the dragon is saying, "You are evil and they are good, but the only thing that makes them good is you." In this statement, it is apparent that good and evil have inseparable, yet undefinable boundaries, and are actually two in the same. Grendel's evilness motivates the fearful people to work, to strive, to think, and to overcome their problems. In this, however indirect or abstract it may seem, Grendel is actually producing good. Amazingly, he manages to be both evil and good at the same time.
Evil. It’s a concept that has baffled philosophers, religious figures, and the common man alike for thousands of years. In this millennium, people may exemplify evil as terrorism, genocide, or, perhaps, placing an empty milk carton back in the refrigerator. However, many remain conflicted about the exact definition of evil, as the dispute over the character Grendel, from the John Gardner novel, makes evident. To conclude that Grendel is not evil, readers must first operate under the assumption that the beast is unequivocally and thoroughly evil. Having done so, readers will notice the fallacies within this thought process. By asserting that Grendel is evil, readers blatantly disregard the ambiguity with which humanity defines its actions, as
There are many characters that are involved in the novel, Grendel by John Gardner, which have meaning and we can identify ourselves with them. For example, Grendel is the main character. I will be writing about Grendel because I think he is the most important character of this novel. I like Grendel because he seems like if he was human but, is really an intelligent monster who eats people. What I dislike about Grendel is that he observes people. I don’t like the fact that Grendel basically spies humans. Since, the author identifies the three stages in his live being: childhood, adulthood, and his battle with Beowulf. Grendel is characterized as innocence but, in the other hand as a monster. Grendel was big in size, and had the strength of many. But he was not brave at all. He is described as a large figure with the strength to pick up the weight of a grown man and consume him whole. 1 But, Grendel is shown as somewhat of a
Ethics is a wide field of philosophical study to which the core of every question within falls to one side of a blurred line. On the right, is good; the value which is popularly believed to be the correct alignment for which a person should live their life according to. On the left, is evil; that which is the cause of most human misery, and prevents peace on earth. In John Gardner’s book Grendel, the retelling of the ages old story Beowulf, further blurs the line between good and evil. Circumstance and perhaps a confused view of reality allow the monster, Grendel, to conceivably defend his evil beliefs. In order to better understand evil, using Grendel as a guide, I intend to attempt to justify it.
...n very human feelings of resentment and jealousy. Grendel was an unstable and saddened figure because of his outcast status. Though Grendel had many animal attributes and a grotesque, monstrous appearance, he seemed to be guided by vaguely human emotions and impulses. He truthfully showed more of an interior life than one might expect. Exiled to the swamplands outside the boundaries of human society, Grendel’s depiction as an outcast is a symbol of the jealousy and hate that seeks to destroy others' happiness and can ultimately cripple a civilization. This take on the outcast archetype ultimately exposes the Anglo Saxon people’s weaknesses, their doubts and anxieties towards the traditional values that bounded nearly every aspect of their life.
The fact there is no mentioning of Grendel’s mother’s name implies that she is valuable insofar as her son is alive. This is could not further away from the truth because Grendel’s mother saved his life, and she is more powerful (Hala 39). Grendel acknowledges when he mentions “a shriek tens as loud as mine came blaring off the cliff. It was my mother!” (Gardner 27). While Grendel situates himself in danger, his mother comes along to save him from the situation that he placed himself into. Even though she has her own identity and persona, the novel never mentions her as something other than him. She is more powerful and dominant than Grendel physically, but because of the nature of her role, she becomes as subservient mother whose only function in life is to serve her son. She does not know anything besides her role as a mother, implying that mothers have no other role in life even they are talented or powerful. The novel is eroding the worth and value that comes from a mother because she has played an important role in raising Grendel. Because the book Grendel is trying to mimic the same world from when Beowulf is written, there are apparent contradictions when Gardner writes the mother “had forgotten all language long ago, or maybe never had never known any. I’d never heard her speak to the other shapes.” The mother is powerful and influential, but Grendel’s mother is continually portrayed is an unintelligent, useless being that has no independent worth beyond her
Grendel is the embodiment of all that is evil and dark. He is a descendant of Cain and like Cain is an outcast of society. He is doomed to roam in the shadows. He is always outside looking inside. He is an outside threat to the order of society and all that is good. His whole existence is grounded solely in the moral perversion to hate good simply because it is good.
Grendel exhibits human feelings and characteristics in many ways. Although Grendel is a monster “forced into isolation by his bestial appearance and limited imagination” (Butts) he yearns to be a part of society; he craves companionship while he is isolated. With his “ear pressed tight against the timbers [of Hart]” (43), he watches and listens to the humans and what goes on in Hart, the meadhall of King Hrothgar, to feel like he is a part of civilization. He also has feelings in relation to specific humans. Just like the citizens of Denmark, he is extremely affected by the Shaper and his songs that are “aswim in ringing phrases, magnificent, golden, all of them, incredibly, lies” (43). Grendel is profoundly “moved by the power of the Shaper’s poetry” (Butts). Queen Wealtheow shows Grendel the feminine, sweet, and kind side of life. “She had secret wells of joy that overflowed to them all” and her peaceful effect on those around her is a main cause of Grendel’s almost obsessive fascination with her and in turn, drives Grendel to feelings of rage. Grendel’s humanlike feelings show that his personality is similar to that of a human, helping those who read his story to relate to him.
Good vs. Evil is a common theme throughout all of literature. However, John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, presents an uncommon twist on this theme. Grendel is in constant emotional turmoil with the concepts of good and evil. He is heavily influenced throughout the novel by each side, but he is reluctant to fully embrace either good or evil. Characters such as Wealtheow and the dragon provide insight to good and evil, which helps shape Grendel into the monster he is.
Through Grendel's own hatred and anger, he brings his own downfall. The "sin-stained demon" has his roots in the vile creature Cain. Since Grendel is spawned from Cain, he can never feel the love of God or of people: ". . . God, / Whose love Grendel could not know." (84-85). It is because of this, that Grendel hates every mortal being he lays his eyes upon. Hatred leads to anger, constant anger, ". . . bearing God's hatred, / Grendel came, hoping to kill" (393-394). Fear is Grendel's other major flaw, "His mind was flooded with fear . . ." (435). Through his hatred and fear, Grendel seals his own fate.
She had been forced down into fearful waters, the cold depths” (1258-1261). Another reason why Grendel’s mother is without a doubt not evil is the only reason her son even got into the situation is they were both born monsters. Hrothgar explains that Grendel and his mother with no other choice are forced to live at the bottom of a haunted mere; why wouldn’t you want to rebel if society doesn’t except the way that you look. Also the way that your child acts does not reflect your behavior. Someone might say that if you are born a monster than you are born evil, but not all monsters are evil; what makes a person or monster evil is the way they act, Grendel’s mother was as civilized if not more civilized as/than the society that lived around her. Therefore Grendel’s mother is not evil just because she was born into the body of a