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Grendel's Nihilism In Beowulf

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Many characters in Grendel define themselves throughout the book. Beowulf spends time glorify his name. Unferth and Beowulf labeled with hero status. Wealtheow spread positivity and displayed her selfishness. The shaper used his imagination to believe in a higher power; on the other hand, the dragon believed in nihilism. Grendel, who could not find his purpose, searched for the higher powers. John Gardner portrayed Grendel as a person who depends on others. Grendel's ignorance created further tensions. In Grendel, the isolation that Grendel endures creates friction between mankind. Grendel experienced positive and negative influence in the end. On Grendel's first search he internalized, "I understood that the world was nothing"(21). As Grendel awakened for the first time he saw mankind. "...I found I understood them: it was my own language, but spoken in a strange way"(23). Although, Grendel shared a common language with mankind Grendel is forced in a bubble. Grendel then encountered the red-golden dragon. The dragon rationalized with Grendel telling him that his theory was absurd. Pieces of Grendel's ideas did not make sense to the dragon. The dragon elaborated and told Grendel death will not heal his pain "Cold, sharp outlines, everything around me: distinct, detached as dead men. I …show more content…

The dragon influences Grendel to believe killing would solve his problems. The effects turned negative and caused Grendel to pave his death. Grendel ditched the Shaper's theories and wholeheartedly followed the dragon. "I no longer remember exactly what [the Shaper} sang"(77). Grendel became enraged by the Shaper's song. He became irritated with other theories but his own. Grendel left what happiness he had and ditches it for nihilism. The Shaper gave Grendel a perspective of life, but the dragon turned Grendel's life around. Instead of believing in humanity, Grendel recented

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Philosophical symbolism in Grendel In the novel Grendel the shaper and the dragon both talk about life. The Shaper has a good view point of life and the dragon has a bad view point of life. The Shaper talks about what the universe and world around us has to offer through his stories.

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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.

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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.

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The dragon’s views about the world had finally gotten to him. After witnessing a goat mindlessly climb a mountain, and the death of the Shaper, Grendel’s final outlook on life becomes clear. “Nihil ex nihilo, I always say" (Gardner 150). This statement translates to nothing can come of nothing; it becomes clear Grendel views life as meaningless and pointless. His internal battle of philosophical beliefs came to a final halt, and never changed once he accepted nihilism.

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Whatever the coach say, the player do it without any questions. Usually the players be scare of the coaches. In this relationship, Grendel is the player and the dragon is the coach. Apparently, the dragon can see the future so he tells Grendel what he should do, so the future can turn out just like the dragon's vision. "I discovered that the dragon put a charm on me: no weapon could cut me (Gardner 75)".

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Although the dragon is different, he is still a monster. The dragon only sleeps and guards his treasure. Both Grendel’s mother and the dragon do not attack anyone until provoked by man (Beowulf 419). Grendel, however, attacks without

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He asks the cosmos for someone to talk to, but of course receives no answer. Despite his aspirations to philosophical introspection, Grendel is essentially a lonely child looking for a friend. He envies both the Shaper and Hrothgar their companionship, even though he is constantly complaining about their self-deception and futility. Grendel sees the companionship of another as something higher (at least at the moment) than some abstract set of principles by which to live his life. So much for heroism.

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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.

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When Grendel is first presented, he is described as

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Grendel begins attacking the humans, “I eat and laugh until I can barely walk, my chest-hair matted with dribbled blood... my belly rumbles, sick on their sour meat” (Gardner 12). Grendel went from crying for his mother when his foot got stuck in a branch to killing and eating dozens of people. Seeing the events that lead up to this how Grendel did helps us further see the transformation he is making. It’s the isolation from the humans that transforms Grendel, “Not, of course, that I fool myself with thoughts that I'm more noble.

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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

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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.

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This time however, he is swept away by a person name the Shaper, who Grendel is ultimately scared of, because of the fact that the shaper is very good at changing the view of people very easily. During this same period, Grendel started to become more violent as well, first by attacking the humans. Grendel didn’t like the way Hrothgar lived and made the Mead Hall and in response, Grendel started to attack it at night. He killed anyone and everything that came into his sight, and even ate the humans. Grendel now became a real threat to the humans, which inevitably changed his status from sinister to pure

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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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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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