Grendel Essay

In both John Gardner’s novel Grendel, and the Epic Beowulf, there is one recurring major character, Grendel. While the same in name, Grendel is illustrated in different lights between the two texts. The character exemplifies some of the same traits between the two texts, but is also shown to have some major differences. Comparing Grendel’s two interactions first, one of the most significant similarities is his fear of Beowulf, most likely stemming from the fact that he had never been beaten before

Beowulf and Grendel The particular scene I wish to cover would have to be the fight between Grendel and Beowulf, the defeat of Grendel. In Beowulf, during the Fight with Grendel, Grendel is coming once more to feast upon the men of the grounds of Hrothar. Though unbeknownst to him, it is a trap, and Beowulf is lying in wait to defeat the beast. The fight is well detailed, and Beowulf wins and takes Grendel’s arm as a trophy, having got it by ripping it off with his bare hands. As it is stated

When looking at Beowulf and Grendel, one perceives them in different ways when reading different versions of the story of Beowulf. Each character goes through the same or similar actions they had gone through in other versions but they are either shown as a hero or a villain depending on the writer’s opinions, beliefs, and lifestyle. The Beowulf poem displays a more compelling argument for Beowulf by eloquently wording his actions and words, diligently staying on topic, and constantly showing Beowulf

Protagonist If you have ever read the book Grendel, which is a playoff of the book Beowulf, you know the author depicts the protagonist as a good character. The author, John Gardner, uses many techniques in his writing to make Grendel sound like a good protagonist. He made a good argument for its protagonist by describing other characters as evil, giving an idea of character’s backstory to help guide your opinions towards certain characters, and giving Grendel many of the traits of the nine noble virtues

monster Grendel, Grendel travels to the Danes mead hall Heorot and while the danes expect it least he attacks killing countless men purely for the joys of doing so. Hrothgar king of the Danes calls for a warrior to fight this unruly beast. After 12 long years of grendel attacking Hrothgar's calls are answered and the great warrior Beowulf comes to kill Grendel. Beowulf travels to the land of the Danes from across the seas and in the first night he kills Grendel. Sadly for Beowulf Grendel has a mother

Noble Grendel In what other book is the monster, the character with more nobility? Both monsters, Grendel and Beowulf, are brave in what they do but being brave is not all it takes to be noble. Grendel is more noble than Beowulf because of the truth he portrays through what he believes in, the perseverance he has when put into a dangerous situation or position, and the fidelity he shows toward his mother. Grendel is very truthful and he sticks to what he says. If he truly believed in a concept then

Grendel is characterized as a misunderstood person; one who continually leashes out against the world in an antagonistic manner. Simply put, he is a reject. This characterization of Grendel is exemplified and manifested in Raffel's Beowulf, Gardner's Grendel, and The Beowulf film directed by Robert Zemeckis. In each of these works, Grendel is consistently given the same characterizations and referred to in similar connotations. Grendel is called names, referred to as being evil, and viewed as a monster

The character Grendel in John Gardner’s novel has a more complicated life than the character in Frankenstein because of their reasons behind killing, their conflict of man vs. society, and their emotions of their existence are more complex in Grendel. The Monster in Frankenstein and Grendel are uniquely superior to the rest of mankind. Grendel on the other hand gets his superiority by killing man, causing them to fear him. The monster is created by dead corps put together, so merely his appearance

Grendel, Beowulf’s arrival and fight with Grendel, and the festivities in Heorot expose the values of the Danish people. Grendel and Beowulf’s encounters reveal direct evidence of the Danes’ views and values, that revolve around a family’s reputation, community, and being a good king versus being a good warrior. The reliance on ones family line reveals how much the Danes’ used their ancestors to compare who they were decedents of. They use their heritage to show that they come from a noble family

Grendel’s Changes Grendel was one of the scariest and most dreadful demon the town had ever laid eyes on. He was different in a way, he could not speak clearly and he had very sensitive ears, especially when it came to the happiness that came from the mead hall. He wanted revenge, and that is exactly what he got. The films Beowulf and Beowulf and Grendel are the films our class had watched to see the differences in Grendel. Also in the cantos there were changes in Grendel’s physical and mental characteristics