The Similarities And Differences Of Beowulf Vs. Grendel

Beowulf VS Grendel

Some stories sound completely unlike when told from different people; sometimes they have varying themes or characters, and other times the characters are the same, except they are described differently. The poem Beowulf and the novel Grendel have very similar plots, but from multiple points of view, making each piece unique. Although many of the same characters in Beowulf also appear in Grendel, some of them are depicted differently. As characters such as Beowulf, Grendel, and the Danes develop throughout Beowulf and Grendel, the differences and similarities between their portrayals in each piece become more apparent.

One character that is described differently in each piece is Grendel. Throughout Beowulf, Grendel is

Without even knowing Grendel’s story, what he’s been through, or almost anything about him, the people in the kingdom just assume he is a monster based on his looks. On the contrary, in Grendel his character is shown as a lonely outcast who is actually the victim rather than the villain because he is misunderstood by the Danes and Geats. For example, many characters talk about how unattractive Grendel is and how he is different and evil because he is a descendant of Cain. This gossip upsets Grendel, which causes him to lash out and kill and eat the humans in the mead-hall. In Beowulf, this attack by Grendel is solely his fault because he is the antagonist, while in Grendel, it is the result of the humans’ cruel behavior because they are the antagonists. To continue, Grendel is an innocent, friendly character in Grendel who just wants someone to talk to; for example, “‘Mercy! Peace!’ The Harper broke off, the people screamed [...] Drunken men rushed me with battle-axes. I sank to my knees, crying, ‘Friend! Friend!’” (Gardner 51, 52). In Grendel, Grendel tries to communicate peacefully with the humans to form a relationship with them while

Grendel seems like two completely different characters when analyzing his descriptions in each piece because of the way each perspective portrayed him; the only things telling the reader that it is, in fact, the same character are his minor similarities. Beowulf, on the other hand is very similar in both stories, along with the Danes and Geats. The varying perspectives create two different books even though they share a very similar plot. What would a third book from Beowulf’s point of view look like? How would his personal theories and outlook on life compare to