Symbolism Of The Three Animals In Grendel

Grendel portrays numerous symbols, themes, and motifs which add great meaning to the plot, thus helping the reader to capture a more thorough understanding of the novel as a whole. However, John Gardner presents the reader with three animals that eventually play a large role. These three animals come to epitomize Grendel’s understanding of nature as indifferent and mechanical.

The first symbolic animal that Gardner depicts is the ram. In the beginning, the ram exasperates Grendel because of the way it mindlessly follows its instincts and mechanical urges. Grendel exclaims, “Scat! Go back to your cave; go back to your cowshed-whatever!” (Gardner 1). After receiving nothing but blank stares from the oblivious creature, Grendel condemns the ram

for the unthinking manner that it simply just follows patterns. In his view, animals, like machines, pursue tedious routines determined by outside forces, never striving to undergo their own original thoughts. Grendel sees this tendency in the ram, which instinctively responds to the arrival of spring with a rash of ludicrous behavior. Grendel becomes angry when he realizes that he exemplifies these same qualities; it simply takes his interaction with the ram for him to realize this. He describes himself as “mechanical as anything else” when the warm weather causes him to begin attacking men again. Grendel’s hatred for the human race increases day by day, as well as hatred for himself when he realizes that he possesses their same qualities. Thus, when Grendel realizes that he strongly epitomizes the ram, this also amplifies his feeling of isolation.
The next vital animal portrayed, would be the bull.

When the young Grendel gets his leg stuck in a tree, the bull repeatedly charges him in an attempt to defend its calf, which Grendel attempts to hunt. The bull cannot do much harm to Grendel, as he can easily dodge its horns. However, the bull continues to charge at Grendel without altering its approach whatsoever. Grendel finds the bull’s inability to think amusing, even scoffing at the animal. Once Grendel realizes how oblivious the poor creature is, his outlook on nature becomes increasingly worse. Now, not only does he envision creation as tedious, but ignorant as well. Grendel’s encounter with the bull pushes him to theorize. Grendel, at this point, believes that only he exists. He thinks that he is the only thing that exists, and that everything else is either something pushing him or something he pushes against. Not long after the bull begins its attack on Grendel, a band of human's chime in, too. Unlike the bull, which never once changes its routine in striking Grendel, the humans have the ability to make new patterns and to break out of routine and mechanism. This ability triggers Grendel’s lifelong fascination and slight envy with the human race. However, when Grendel attempts to communicate with the humans, they interpret his yelling as an expression of anger rather than excitement. This causes Grendel's depression about his inability to communicate to increase, which magnifies to his despise for the humans.

After noting what the humans are capable of, Grendel momentarily rethinks his invasion on Hart, but quickly sides with his attack.
Toward the end, Gardner includes one last vital symbol, the goat.

As Grendel stalks the woods, he encounters a goat's attempt to ascend the cliff side near his den. Angered by the goat’s determination, Grendel yells at the creature. When the goat’s obvious response is nothing, Grendel reacts by throwing trees and stones at it. However, the goat continues to climb, even after its skull splits, and it appears to continue climbing even after its death. Unlike the ram, which frustrates Grendel, and the bull, which amuses him, the goat haunts him with its mindless persistence. As the goat keeps climbing toward its imminent death, it also foreshadows Grendel’s upcoming death. Just as the goat tragically falls to its death, so does Grendel. After witnessing the persistent ram, Grendel questions his place in the world. He ponders his social ranking in creation, and even begins to wonder what his purpose is in the world. These mind boggling thoughts only give him anxiety, as he has no sense of identity whatsoever. Though Grendel scorns the stupidity of nature, the reader must also ponder whether Grendel, who goes willingly to fight Beowulf regardless of the dangers, and the humans, who attempt to fight Grendel in the same way time after time, are merely other implements that simply function absentmindedly. Though Grendel faces isolation for a majority of the novel, what he does not realize is that he and the humans are much alike. Just as Grendel thrives for attention and

hierarchy, the humans do as well.
The use of symbolism is extremely important in a novel, thus adding nuance to the story. Symbolism also reinforces the ideas that the author wants the reader to remember within the plot, ergo why Gardner uses the goat to foreshadow Grendel’s death. Gardner also implements the ram, the bull, and the goat to bring more out of Grendel. The three symbols help add to the themes of isolation, language and communication, and identity. Without the use of symbolism, the novel would not illustrate nearly as much meaning, and would fail to help the reader thoroughly understand whom Grendel really is and his perspective on nature.