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Monsters in Beowulf
The portrayal of the monsters in beoweulf
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In Beowulf there are three archetypal types of monsters. Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and The Dragon. Each one of the monsters symbolized a factor of Beowulf’s life. Grendel represents the sin in a man’s life. Grendel’s mother represents evil of the people in the anglo-saxon age.
Monsters are born in literature through their words, origins, thoughts, and actions. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer, as well as Burton Raffel’s Beowulf, contain such monsters that are large impediments to the hero’s quest. Also the expeditions or quests are affected in terms of intimidation by the monsters who are always overwhelming at first to the pessimistic eye such as how the Israelites viewed Goliath, the Philistine, when David went to fight him. A monster’s thoughts, origins, and words are often used to construct the description of monstrosity in literature and are very critical.
What actually happens when three monsters terrorize a city and there is only one guy to save the city? It is quite an easy answer to this question. Although, to understand what happens, the three monsters have to be analyzed. The three monsters. Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon, in Burton Raffel’s epic, Beowulf, are unique to their physical attributes, capabilities, living quarters, attack methods, and motives.
When Grendel last words “Poor Grendel’s had an accident . . . So may you all” . These words are used as a curse because just like Grendel suffered from an accident everyone else will suffer to . For example , “It was an accident,” I bellow back. I will cling to what is true.
Grendel: Human or Monster In the story Beowulf, the character Grendel is highly misunderstood. Grendel was born in the wild marshes outside of Herot. Being raised in such harsh conditions, Grendel grew to hate the Danes and God. As a descendant of Cain, he was banished as a small child and forced to live in exile with his mother.
In Beowulf, Grendel the dragon is looked at in a very negative light, as an evil character. This is due to the strong descriptive words that the author uses, such as: “a powerful monster…in darkness…growled in pain” (pg.41 L. ). These words paint a clear picture of Grendel, and it supplies you a feeling for how evil the beast truly is. The epic states that Grendel was “spawned in that slime” (pg.41 L.), giving a very dark image of what he was conceived into. Grendel is a character of true evil.
Grendel, or Anxiety? In today’s society, we face many monsters that cause us to become fearful and weak when faced with a challenge. In the epic Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, Grendel is a miserable monster who causes pain upon faultless people, and is motivated by their pain. Today’s monsters may not be actual creatures, but they do cause the same terrifying effects on people, symbolizing evil in our society.
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).
Megan Garza Writing 2 Professor Donelan 14 October, 2015 Grendel, The Monster? Is Grendel a monster or a human in a demonic disguise? While reading Beowulf this is one of the questions one should consider.
Both authors paint a grotesque picture of their creations and how they both desire to destroy beauty; Aesthetic Iconoclasm, that is shared between the two figures. However, both authors present their monsters separate to one another in philosophy; with Grendel being a mindless savage and the Monster being more contemplative and questioning the nature of its own creation. ‘Monster’ characters have always been a target of both folk tales and pagan myths since the dawn of humanity, the very concept of a monstrous creature harkens back to the primal fear instinct of facing a dangerous predator that presents a danger to humanity. Grendel from Beowulf is the perfect example of this hysteria and
In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king.
Introduction to Theme A theme is a meaning that goes beyond the plot, something less about events and more about significance, and it allows people to draw a conclusion from a book or story. The theme I will be focusing on is Monsters, which seeks to identify key data connected to the stories of monsters to identify characteristics of a monster within Greek myth. Monsters in Greek myth are often uncivilized, meaning that they exude behaviors which are savage and inappropriate. Monsters which are uncivilized are present in The Essential Homer, but I will specifically be focusing on uncivilized monsters in “Book 9” of The Odyssey.
This is the beginning of Grendel falling directly into the role that the dragon said he would need to fill. Grendel’s murderous tendencies completely reflect the monstrous side of his personality and the more he kills the more he grows insane, separating from rational, humanistic thought. “I am swollen with excitement, bloodlust and joy and a strange fear that mingle in my chest like the twisting rage of a bone-fire... I am blazing, half-crazy with joy” (168). It is clear that, by the time Beowulf arrives, Grendel has embraced the fact that he is required to be evil, despite the fact that he previously claimed he would oppose that destiny.
Samin Ishraq ENGL 2130 Dr. Jenny Joczik 10 July 2023 Compare and contrast them with other well-known “monstrous” characters in film, TV, comic books, and literature. Give specific examples and include images if desired. Beowulf is an old English epic poem believed to be written in the 8th century (Britannica). The story is about a great warrior who defeated a heinous monster named Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a Dragon. Beowulf met his demise when facing a dragon and took down the dragon while also getting killed.
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.