What Are The Differences Between Beowulf And Grendel

The epic poem “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffel and the novel “Grendel” by John Gardner both share the character Grendel, however both the poem and the novel tell different characterizations of Grendel.

In the poem “Beowulf”, Grendel is depicted as “that demon, that fiend” (Raffel, Line 101), but to emphasize this characteristic, Grendel’s lineage is also mentioned to prove that he is made of pure Evil “...Conceived by.. Those monsters born of cain”, (line Blank-106) the use of his lineage to Cain, the biblical brother, only focuses on the fact that Grendel is indeed evil by instinct, that by conception it was already determined. Gendel’s depiction as a mindless monster is also shown when he attacks the mead hall ”snatched up thirty men,smashed them...to his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter”. (Raffel, line 123-126), from his lineage to the attack the Danes only view Grendel a mindless beast that only runs on his desire to feast upon men. In the novel “Grendel” .however, Grendel depicts himself as a self-aware creature “Ah, sad fool, poor old freak!” (Grendel By John Gardner chapter 1, page 6) but with his self-awareness Grendel also struggled with solipsism ideas. He comes upon this idea after being saved by his mother from the Danes “The world resist me, and I resist the world…The world is

Gardner’s Grendel admits to himself as a monster throughout his twelve year war against Hrothgar and his Danes “pointless, ridiculous monster crouched in the shadows stinking of dead men, murdered children, martyred cows (Gardner, chapter 1 page 6). The characters in Beowulf see Grendel as a monster for his sins against mankind “mankind’s enemy continues his crimes, killing as often as he could, coming alone, bloodthirsty and horrible” (Raffel, line