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Free will or fate introduction
Grendel character analysis
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Grendel walking through the halls looking for someone to kill shows that he is truly evil. It increased the suspense because we know that he will soon fight Beowulf. By saying that it's his “last supper” is foreshadowing that he will soon die, and I believe he includes this to show how heroes always win.
Up until the end of Chapter 7, Grendel’s actions are influenced by the dragon. He believes nothing matters, there is no good or bad, and everybody eventually dies. The people of Heort know Grendel as a monster and a killer and he lives up to his reputation.
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.
So the dragon told Grendel to start killing the knights and people at the meadhall because it would keep the society alive. If Grendel keeps killing people in meadhall every year, the knights and the king would keep planning a defense every year to keep the monster away from the valley. Grendel did what the Dragon told him, on the first night of Grendel attack. Grendel didn't know what he was doing because that was his first time. He made his appearance seeable quick, he try to kill other one knight to see how it really felt to kill someone but other knights saw him and that's when they all attacked Grendel.
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.
At the end of Chapter 12, Grendel’s last words were “Poor Grendel’s had an accident … So may you all.” (Gardner 174). Such words are meant as a curse to affect mankind. To start off, Grendel’s relationship with humans are not great.
Grendel's state of mind was terrified during his battle with Beowulf. The author provides an example throughout the poem explaining how Grendel was scared when he was fighting Beowulf. In Line 306-310 the author stated how Grendel was in terror when Beowulf was defeating him, " The sounds changed,the Danes started in new terror, covering in their beds as the terrible scream of the almighty's enemy sang in the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain and defeat. " By stating explicitly Grendel became weak because Beowulf had more strength than him. In Line 314-316 the author provided an example that supports another reason on how Grendel became weak from his battle with Beowulf. "
Grendel loved to kill humans because they were always fooled by the Shaper’s false realities. Grendel replied, “I would kill her and teach them
Point of view is an essential component of Grendel because it gives us a perspective of how Grendel sees the world. Having the ability to view the story from the eyes of Grendel gives the reader insight into how Grendel thinks, how he sees people, and how people see him. The first person point of view in Grendel reveals a deeper understanding of how isolation can shape one’s existence and change them over time. When Grendel was younger, he was a curious creature who was intrigued but terrified of the outside world. The first person viewpoint of the story allows us to see how the way the humans treated Grendel took away his innocence and isolated him.
His violent nature grew so much that he became crazy with the need to kill the humans. Therefore, Grendel’s actions reflect that his existence has drifted away from its partially civilized nature and into the barbaric. Grendel had no choice in becoming more beast than human because external forces constantly push him towards that fate. Whether it was the dragon, the actions of the humans, or Grendel’s own unconscious tendencies, he never really had the opportunity to make a choice, human or beast. What Grendel said and thought always clashed with the situations he encountered until there was simply no possibility of becoming the good in the way
Grendel was this grim beast who haunted the moors and secluded fens; this troublesome one had long lived with monsters since the Creator had declared his exile. Grendel had been punished and separated from the company of man and God through the sins of Cain. Being a descendant from Cain, Grendel is full of evil and deceitfulness. This fuels his hatred, and a desire to destroy goodness from the world of which he can have no part in. His first night of violent attacks was describe as “The unholy creature, grim and ravenous, was ready at once, ruthless and cruel, and took from their thirty thanes; thence
He states, “A shock goes through me. Mistake!”. Grendel realizes he has been tricked because Beowulf’s eyes were open. What disturbs Grendel most is when Beowulf whispers to him “spilling words like showers of sleet, his mouth three inches from my ear. I will not listen.
He attempts to make peace, his actions are no different than those of others, and he is experiencing resentment. Although there is no excuse for murdering others, Grendel does not kill for the fun of it. His actions are just reactions to emotions he is experiencing. Furthermore, his willingness to make peace emphasizes the remorse he feels for the crimes he has committed. This also shows that he acted impulsively because of his strong feelings of resentment.
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.
In lines 432-438, “That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime, knew at once that nowhere on earth had he met a man whose hands were harder; his mind was flooded with fear-but nothing could take his talons and himself from that tight hard grip. Grendel’s one thought was to run from Beowulf, flee