Influences on Grendel’s Life

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Recommended: Beowulf epic characterization, heroism

Influences on Grendel’s Life

The epic poem Beowulf was the first ever poem wrote down on paper in English. In this poem Grendel has been attacking Hrothgars kingdom for 12 years. Every night Grendel goes to the mead hall and eats 30 men. Beowulf hears of the troubles and decides being the epic hero he is that he will take care of the problem himself. So he and 14 other men get on a ship and travel to where Grendel is. When he gets there he does not want to seem to Hrothgar that he thinks Hrothgar can’t handle the problem alone. So using one of his heroic qualities he gives a speech about how it is for his pride and his reputation. One night when he gets there he acts asleep as Grendel comes into the mead hall. Beowulf ceases Grendel and tears his arm off. Beowulf cannot use weapons because Grendel cannot be hurt by weapons due to a spell that was put on him. One Beowulf takes his arm he hangs it on the wall. This upsets Grendels mother and she comes to defend her son. She takes his arm back to her layer where Beowulf follows. When he gets there he kills her with he own sword. The story ends with Beowulf being killed by a dragon which he also kills.

John Gardner, the writer of Grendel believed that it was the artists or poets job to educate to ordinary people. This was because he thought artists saw the world different. In this novel he seems to portray someone as being monstrous if they thought that there was no meaning to life, no greater force than one’s self. In his book Grendel he explores many different ideas and philosophies in the world. He demonstrates theses through the inner struggles Grendel goes through and different characters he looks to for meaning in life. There are many characters that have e...

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... to. Grendel is very confused because the dragon and shaper have different ideas. The shaper also believes there is something bigger than oneself. He wants to buy into it but, it seems he thinks the people are hypocritical.

To conclude, John Gardner believes that it is the artist or the poet’s job to teach to the average person. In this story he goes through many different beliefs that people have. He shows all of these through the people Grendel look to for advice and guidance. By the end of the story one would believe that Gardner was not an extremely religious person. He however did believe in a higher force and wants people to know that life is not pointless. Grendel learns many things through the Shaper and the Dragon which are key to his decisions.

Work Cited

Gardner, John. Grendel. New York: Random House, 1989

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