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Grendel 'Monster In Beowulf'

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Francesca Sciacca The night is crisp and clear. In the sky stars caress the bright full moon. A creature trudges across a grass field. He pauses, inhales deeply as though he just got the scent of his next prey. His ears flicker when he hears a “SNAP.” A human. He turns towards the sound; grins a devilish smile showing long, sharp fangs. He slowly go towards the human, the human is paralyzed like a doe in the headlights. What happens next? One may assume that the creature would eat the human in one gulp. One could think that he would tear the human limb from limb. Yet, another could be intrigued, “They’re seriously misunderstood creatures.”-Rubeus Hagrid, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It is literature 101, never judge a book by it's …show more content…

Or so it seems. In the novel Grendel by John Gardner diagnoses the ruthless monster in the tale of Beowulf. He is the epitome of wrong judgement. Grendel is an intellectual. He was naturally curious about human society. He tried to understand their ways nevertheless, he became frustrated with humans. Therefore, He started a twelve year war, eating and terrorizing them. He was jealous that they knew their purpose and that he did not. All he wanted was to communicate with someone. Besides his grotesque eating habit and beliefs he and mankind tethered on a fine line. When Grendel first discovered the humans he was stuck in a tree and beaten by a bull. Thinking he was going to die, he called out for his mother who did not answer. Then, a group of humans came across him. They first thought Grendel was an angry spirit in need of pigs. When Grendel tried to communicate with them they immediately went into defense mode. As stated, “I shrieked at them, trying to scare them off, but they merely ducked behind the bushes and took long sticks from the saddles of their horses, bows, and javelins. ‘You’re all crazy,’ I bellowed, ‘You’re all insane!’ I'd never howled more loudly in my life”(Gardner 26). Grendel going into the world of humans was a big milestone in his life, this was his first adult experience on his own. It rubbed him the wrong way. This event made him believe that the world is simply chaotic. He was thanking the humans for the pigs and the humans took it as a line of attack. Also, this is the moment he develops a hatred for the king who is amongst the group. He becomes jealous that he has all these followers and people to talk to. He believes that the world is a pointless accident. In addition, as Grendel watched the humans post-battle tales of the Shaper. It made him extremely emotional. He wanted to be a human, he wanted to experience and

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He no longer has the undertone of a child, rather, more of a man going through hard times. He believes that the gods had defied him a “rejection of the gods that, for (his) part, (he’d) known all along to be lifeless sticks” (Gardner 52). Later when Grendel talks to the dragon, the dragon reminds Grendel of his true self, that “nothing interests him (except) excitement, violence.” (Gardner 67). While to an extent, this is true, there are some parts to this that isn’t true, otherwise Grendel could not be a dynamic character.

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Moreover, Grendel’s last words indicate that something will happen to mankind as it did to himself. For instance, Grendel expresses, “there is no limit to desire but desire’s needs.” (Gardner 93). Such illustrates that Grendel can desire as much as he wants

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Everyone thinks of the “hero” of the story as the “good guy” but how would one feel if that was all a lie? In the common known story, “Beowulf”, the author portrays Grendel as a monster, yet in the book, “Grendel” written by John Gardner, Grendel is seen as a monster with purpose. Shown by passages in Grendel, he is shown as a misunderstood beast who just wants to live in unity. He is a very intelligent being who seeks approval from his single mother. Letting the fame get to him, “Beow’s name was known through the north” (19).

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Early in the novel, Grendel listens to the Shaper and says “he told of an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light. And I, Grendel, was the dark side” (Gardner 51). Grendel believes the words of the Shaper and is overcome with sadness at the truth in it. In most cases, truly evil characters take pride in being viewed as threatening figures. Grendel, on the other hand, is ashamed and does not wish to be viewed as a dark figure.

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Is just an act of animal? There is no explanation in the epic but in the sixth chapter of the novel, Grendel is much more humanlike. He has the capability to think, reason and speak. So,he wants to join Scyldings but we sense that he would not be accepted by the society because of his physical appearance. He goes out of control.

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