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Literary analysis beowulf
Critical analysis of beowulf
Critical analysis of beowulf
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Literary analysis beowulf
Critical analysis of beowulf
Critical analysis of beowulf
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Grendel the “Monster” Do not underestimate the power of a human being. Monsters are everywhere near and far. The sources that will be discussed are Beowulf (2007) film, Printed Cantos and textbook, and the Grendel Excerpt by John Gardner. The portrayal of Grendel in the movie differs greatly from the cantos and excerpt because in the readings he comes off as such a greedy monster, but in the movie he is lonely and in need of help.
In the book Grendel he seems to change throughout the book. At the beginning of the story Grendel is sensitive , immature and very lonely. Giving a feeling of sympathy . That all changes when Grendel talks to The Dragon. When Grendel first meet The Dragon he was afraid of it. He was so terrified to ask him questions.
He has grown bored with attacking the same people and is happy for a new challenge. Also Grendel refers to himself as somewhat of a celebrity. He says “I am no longer a stranger here. A respected guest” when referring to the reactions he receives from the townspeople
Grendel in the novel is very different from the monster in Frankenstein because Grendel wants to and enjoys to humiliate and kill people, the monster in Frankenstein wants to be able to socialize with people without them getting frightened by his appearance. They are alike because they are both alone, they both frighten people with their looks, and they are not welcome in the human world. Grendel in the novel knows he is a fright to people, he is danger. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with that, but at the same time is not proud of it, either. He does like the pain of others, preferably king Hrothgar and his men.
Grendel was a being sung about in the songs of the shaper, who twisted tales to fit his own means. In the song Grendel was made out to be a wretched monster, without intellect, who only sought to kill. This wasn’t the case entirely. Grendel was determined to enter society, to be a part of their gatherings, instead at every turn he was chased away, cursed, and attacked. He was only a monster to those in the mead hall, a beast who could never be a part of them.
When Grendel is first presented, he is described as
I believe John Gardner wrote Grendel, not to make us sympathize for Grendel, but to help us understand why Grendel has this dark, pessimistic view of the world. John Gardner did an amazing job narrating a back story from the monstrous point of view of Grendel. There are many people who disagree and say John Gardner wrote Grendel to make the monster of Grendel seem more monstrous, and barbaric, but I feel these people are not fully digesting the text. There is plenty of evidence that shows Grendel was written so we could better understand the mind of Grendel. John Gardner’s Grendel, is all in the monster
Pointless, ridiculous monster crouched in the shadows, stinking of dead men, murdered children, martyred cows” (Gardner 54). Grendel recognizes that it is the isolation that has turned him into what he is. He has seen how the humans have rejected him and tried to kill him, the first person viewpoint allows us to share this experience with
John Gardner gave Grendel emotions that the reader was able to see and hear through his own words. Grendel told tales of his childhood causing the reader to become invested in Grendel’s past giving the feeling of a connection. As in the way he describes instances of his imaginative play, “I use to play games when I was young…explored our far-flung underground world in an endless wargame of leaps onto nothing…quick whispered plottings with invisible friends” (Gardner 15). Consequently, this information gives the feeling of sympathy for Grendel, for his lonely childhood and circumstance. Gardner continues to play on the sympathies of the reader after Grendel’s first interaction with the Danes.
This constant fighting creates a balance between the two forces of good and evil, until one succumbs to the other. Throughout the novel, John Gardner will put Grendel through certain stages of his life, which would
Throughout the novel Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel comes across as a ruthless monster who takes pride in murdering others. His actions give the impression that he is an evil figure, but in hindsight he is not as evil as he appears to be. Gardner makes the readers feel sympathy for Grendel because Grendel lives a lonely life, is consistently treated poorly, and attempts to make peace. If Grendel was truly evil, readers would have difficulty having sympathy for him. Therefore, Grendel is not evil and is no different than the rest of humanity.
The common characteristics of what makes a monster have remained constant throughout society: evil, isolated, violent. Monsters have no regards for social normatives, and cause chaos and destruction wherever they go. Grendel is no exception. In Beowulf, Grendel manifests every characteristic of a stereotypical monster. He is considered inherently evil, and is an outcast; he roams alone and commits devilish atrocities whenever he pleases.
Grendel in both stories is described as a vicious "Monster", but is viewed differently. The character of Grendel, in the novel by John Gardner, portrays a different visualization than that of Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf. In the novel the story is told in first person point of view which gives Grendel human qualities while Grendel in Beowulf is told in third person point of view not giving Grendel his standpoint. In both works, the authors give two different perspectives of Grendel. Grendel in the novel is not seen as a "Monster", but as a human that has emotions and is very sympathetic about everything that comes his way.
Motivations The three cardinal motivations for Beowulf to fight the monsters. People often have very different reasons to do something than others. Sometimes, people wonder why others do the things they do.
Beowulf’s Motivations (An Understanding of the motivations of Beowulf to Fight the Three Monsters) Every human being has a certain code with which they follow, most are outlined by the Anglo-Saxon, better known as Viking, code. This code itself was depicted through the epic poem known as, “Beowulf,” and more importantly, Beowulf’s motivations. His first motivation for fighting Grendel, is because he believes it is his duty to fight the monster. Secondly, Beowulf believes that fighting Grendel’s mother would help him in receive glory.