Is Grendel A Truly Fearsome, Mindless Monster?

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Mistook for a Menace
Is Grendel a truly fearsome, mindless monster? Or is he simply a misunderstood creature capable of thinking and feeling? Does he deserve to be deemed as an outcast or should society accept him? In the novel, Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel must deal with these questions reflecting his doubts on his identity after he is mistook for an evil, monstrous character. Though Grendel has an evil background in which he is the descendant of Cain causing him to be judged by how others perceive him to be rather than from his true incentives and though his ugly appearance may cause others to cringe, underneath it all, he is a harmless and misunderstood creature only looking to change his destiny. Throughout the novel, Grendel lives …show more content…

Grendel has the intent of getting back at Hrothgar but also realizes that the Danes do not deserve his sympathy and the fact that they live selfishly and innocently makes him act violently towards them. When Grendel first encounters humans and the outside world, he gets enraged when they behave badly, act angrily towards one other, use up natural resources for their own selfish purposes, and only care about wealth. Grendel also encounters the Shaper, who sings songs about lies and uses this “weapon” to manipulate Grendel's mind. Grendel listens to the Shaper's lie and conflicted he says, “It was a cold-blooded lie that a god had lovingly made the world and set out the sun and moon as lights to land-dwellers...Yet he, the old Shaper, might make it true, by the sweetness of his harp, his cunning trickery. It came to me with a fierce jolt that I wanted it. As they did too, though vicious animals, cunning cracked with theories, I wanted it, yes! Even if I must be the outcast, cursed by the rules of his hideous fable.” (55) Grendel after observing the humans realizes that none of what the Shaper said was true. Even though Grendel knew that the Shaper's words were mere flattery and should disbelieve what the Shaper muttered, he was still deeply touched by the words, tempted by their beauty, and tricked into having a strong positive outlook on his role …show more content…

After Grendel has an encounter with the Shaper and is greatly confused by his songs, he goes to the Dragon for advice. The Dragon informs him that the Shaper's songs are all lies and that he should not listen to them. “Now you know how they feel when they see you, eh?” (59) The fact that Grendel is afraid of the Dragon is similar to how the Danes are afraid of Grendel. Grendel gets a taste of how the Danes feel since he is now in their shoes. Even though, at first, the Dragon was frightening, Grendel throughout the chapter comes to a realization that the Dragon is very hospitable and knowledgeable. Grendel should not be so quick to judge just because of the Dragon's appearance and should get to know him before making assumptions. Next, the Dragon says, “You improve them, my boy! Can't you see that yourself? You stimulate them! You make them think and scheme. You drive them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are for as long as they last. You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves.” (72) Grendel, though he dislikes his villainous role and wants no part in it, must come to terms with his lifelong job. The Danes perceived Grendel as the villain due to his “evil” appearance and vicious intentions and

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