Punishment In Grendel By John Gardner

In the novel by John Gardner, Grendel, a monstrous creature with human-like thoughts and an existentialist outlook on life, lives in the forest surrounding the mead hall of the mighty Hrothgar, king of the Danes, after being rejected by the king’s people, which forced him into isolation and a dark place in his heart. This rejection sets Grendel into a spiral of crimes of monstrosity or in other words, murder. It is evident that Grendel committed these crimes, but were they justified or intentional? His crimes were intentional because he posses control over his actions, made his crimes a joke, was in no way an act of self-defense, and he killed purely for his own personal pleasure, much like man.

Grendel, unlike animals, has complex thoughts much like man, which also allows him the power to control his actions. “It was one thing to eat one from time to time….but it was another to scare them, give them heart attacks, fill their nights with nightmares, just for sport.” This shows that Grendel has complete control over his actions because for the first half of the story he lived his life with this in mind (Gardner, 61). This idea soon faded after his encounters with the old dragon and he found joy in killing the Danes for sport. “As if casually, in plain sight of them all, I

bit his head off… I fled with the body to the woods, heart churning- boiling like a flooded ditch- with glee.” (Gardner, 79). This decision and new found glee for murder and terror led to the continuous elimination of the Dane population.
After beginning his raids on the mead hall, Grendel made his crimes a joke to get a reaction out of the witnesses or for his own amusement. “I bit his head off, crunched through the helmet and skull with my teeth and, holding the jerking, blood-slippery body in two hands, sucked the blood that sprayed like a hot, thick geyser from his neck… Women fainted, men backed toward the hall… heart churning… with glee” This is an example of not only a violent and unnecessary crime, but it also shows that the effect he had on the people standing by was amusing for him as well (Gardner, 79). In Grendel’s last attack on the mead hall he ties a tablecloth around him for fun, which exhibits that his crimes were just fun and amusement. “For pure, mad prank, I snatch a cloth from the nearest table and tie it around my neck to make a napkin.” (Gardner, 168). This is one obvious reason why Grendel’s attacks were in no way justifiable because he himself could not even provide a clear reason.
Some may believe Grendel’s murders were an act of self-defense, especially since he was threatened with weapons, but when his war of Hrothgar heightened this followed his visit with the dragon, who put a charm on him, so no weapon could penetrate Grendel’s body.

“The dragon had put a charm on me: no weapon could cut me. I could walk up to the mead hall whenever I pleased, and they were powerless.” (Gardner, 76-77). This charm and Grendel’s awareness of it made all of his killings past this point completely intention and more so the fights he go into with guards were unfair because of it. So, there was no real reason for these raids and if anyone can claim self-defense it would be the

Shieldings.
To Grendel murder of humans was just a simple joy, which just motivated him further to terrorize a population over the course of twelve years. When his raids began Grendel realized this brought him joy. “I killed stragglers now and then- with a certain grim pleasure very different from that which I got from cracking a cow’s skull.” (Gardner, 76). When the Shaper, a storyteller of the mead hall, passes from old age Grendel’s only wish from this was that he should have killed him himself. “I should have captured him, teased him, tormented him, made a fool of him. I should have cracked his skull mid song and sent his blood spraying out wet through the mead hall.” (Gardener, 146). Also, before his last attack he describes himself as, “half-crazy with joy”, which shows that from the beginning of his attacks to the end he felt only joy for his actions. (Gardner, 168).
Since Grendel is perfectly capable of controlling his actions, makes his attacks pranks, does not kill for self-defense, and find nothing, but amusement from his killings, he is guilty of these accused crimes of monstrosity. He righteously deserves the death by an acceptable hero because it is only fair to kill him since he has taken the lives of many by putting himself on the same level as man killing for personal reasons.