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Beowulf Vs Grendel

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Grendel vs Grendel Grendel, the horrid, gross, quarrelsome demon who had no concept of the english language or feelings, the beast of burden who slaughters men with no remorse. Writtened as a damned hel spawn of his wicked mother, known throughout the land as an emotionless entity whose pleasure derives from the pain of others. As portrayed as in the Epic Beowulf (Heaney). However on the other side of the spectrum we have the Grendel in the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson, S.) Again portrayed as a thing that derives pleasure from the pain of others and a thing that acts somewhat like a human from time to time. Despite being from the same story and sharing the same name these characters as a whole are supremely different from each other. …show more content…

Something that in the movie they can't really define it seeing to how Beowulf can't even describe what he is to his comrades. And there's really no definition on a troll. Why? To be honest it's simply more relatable to have something that people can interpret in there own way than have something that's point blank easy to describe. When people interpret things in there own view they lean a lot towards there own side, Grendel kin of Cain isn't human and is ridiculed for being that way and people can interpret that however they want. People who have been bullied or made fun of can relate to him, which automatically brings in a certain audience and is a smart move. Grendel the troll also has a kid and a lady friend so to speak . Which again is a relatable topic and a sympathetic. Not only do you feel sympathy for Grendel when he dies but you again feel a more deeper connection once you find out that he has a son that is more human than Grendel ever was. People generally feel sorry for children who have their parent gone or there in a rough patch of life. It's sad to see children grow up too fast and with your father gone back then the child would have to grow up and be the man of the house. Which again leaves you to feel sorry for him. Making him more sympathetic and human. The Grendel in the Epic however has no backstory and no sense of sympathy in the epic. He only

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The people in the story view Grendel as a monster, but why does Hrothgar-Grendel’s father-want Grendel to be killed? Is he full of shame? What would happen if the Geats knew about Hrothgar and Grendel’s Mother’s secret scandal? Grendel’s sadness and loneliness, the courage to protect himself from what is hurting is why he is despised. As a monster, Grendel was trying to protect himself.

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He is portrayed in the poem as a horrendous beast with human characteristics, but looking closer to the text, he is a human out-casted and raised to be a monster. Although Grendel is written as a monstrous villain who kills with no remorse, he is actually a complex human with a repressed anger exploding in bursts. Grendel is often described in a negative way. He is reffered to as a demon in the text “from Beowulf”

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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.

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The two characters have differences because they come from different time periods

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There are many examples from the story that make Grendel look even more monstrous than he already was, but that’s because the story is at the point of view of the monster. So, we’re able to see the natural habitat of the monster Grendel. Although, the young life of Grendel may be barbaric and monstrous to us, it’s not to Grendel, because that’s his life. As you can see, there many valid reasons why I believe John Gardner wrote Grendel to help us understand the monster’s mind. Grendel expresses his thoughts and emotions throughout the whole story, so we’re able to see how Grendel is feeling.

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Psychoanalysis is the way the mind investigates itself through consciousness and unconsciousness by bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind. It brings better understanding to what shapes our personalities and why people are who they are. Grendel is just like everyone else, the way he grew up influences who he is. By looking through a psychological perspective we can get a better understanding of Grendel by observing him through Freudianism, object theory, and Neo-Freudianism. Grendel is seen as a monster that terrorizes the village in the eyes of the people.

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Using a monster to help us examine what it means to be human is how the novel helps readers to make that distinction between humans, and monsters. Indeed, aside from Grendel’s horrible appearance and nasty eating habits, very little actually separated him aside from the humans such as Hrothgar or Wealtheow. Even his extreme brutality was not unique. The author, John Gardner, stresses man’s inherent violence many times throughout the novel. Additionally, Grendel’s ethical journey was a very human one, its urgency intensified by his status as an outsider.

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Whereas, Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon. He knows that the dragon was truly a monster without any human characteristics. Whereas, Grendel possess human characteristics such as a human form and share mutual values such as a place to meet, meadhall. Grendel simply represent an alternative darker side of humanity, which is reflected in his underwater sea cave. Compared to the dragon, Grendel is more human than monstrous.

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Argument Essay: Beowulf and Grendel Many people have read or heard of the epic poem of Beowulf, which spins a tale of Grendel, the monster, attacking the admirable Danes and their king, Hrothgar. Some may not be as aware of a book titled Grendel written by John Gardner in 1971. Gardner’s book tells a completely different account of the more familiar tale of Beowulf, from the perspective of Grendel, the monster. The narrator from Grendel portrays a more plausible, powerful story than the excerpt from Beowulf by drawing the reader in with a more emotional viewpoint from the character Grendel, making him more relatable by giving him humanlike qualities, and clarifying why certain events took place in Beowulf.

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Readers can learn some things about Grendel in Beowulf but in order to dive deeper into the character and who he is, people go to the book Grendel. The book takes a closer look at Grendel and how he discovers the order and disorder of people and the world (Sanchez). Grendel is thought to symbolize the dark side of humanity, or the sins of man (Farrell). It’s easy for readers to sympathize with Grendel at points because he is a natural outcast of society. He is said to be the son of Cain and because of that he was labeled from day one (Sanchez).

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Grendel is classified as a monster due to his outsider status of being an outcast, unreligious, and dishonorable, which establishes him as the antithesis of Anglo Saxon culture. As an outcast of society, Grendel represents the idea that in Anglo Saxon culture unity and cooperation is what holds society together. In a world classified by kinship and strong family lineage, Grendel is “conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God” (Heaney 22). In a society focused upon blood lineage and strong family ties, to be related to a “monster“ in any form is something sinful, and cause enough for complete hatred.

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In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are clear distinctions between an epic hero and a monster. Beowulf is the prime example of a epic hero possessing characteristics such as superior strength, courage, and loyalty. On the other hand, Grendel and Grendel’s mother are characteristized as evil and immoral based off of their actions. These characteristics are presented throughout the poem, and monsters are given grotesque, hideous appearances to further prove that they are evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother reaction revealed how the full presentation of a character can allow readers to react differently than before and even sympathized with them.

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He is big and strong, a descendant of Sheild, the founder of the Geats, aka the Danes. On the other hand, Grendel and his mother are not good

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The story narrates of Grendel’s unquenchable desire to slaughter in his lust for evil. It speaks of the fear caused by him and how Herot’s population fell as people were killed or fled from the village. Herot

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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.

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