Nature Vs Nurture In Beowulf

The Upbringing of an individual can cause the impression in behaviors and personality of that individual. The way in one is perceived can also cause a reaction. The classic novel of Beowulf and the spinoff novel Grendel by John Gardner both contain the same characters and creatures that can be viewed differently because of how they were developed and ultimately which novel defines them.

One character often misinterpreted as only a violent monster is Grendel. Grendel is seen as a monster to others and from them he adopts aggression. He can be seen as an example of nature as his life is unaffected by his mother. The surroundings he is in tones his anger and causes him to naturally seem beast-like. Grendel is hated by society and thus is forced

Nature and Nurture have the potential to influence both behavior and personality of an individual. Nurture provides someone that is more immersed to follow a specific path while nature is more unpredictable. A personality laid out by nature is often times aggressive or even shy. This attitude can be presented to support Grendel as a homosexual being. Homosexuality is considered to have roots in some cases to nature versus nurture. Surroundings and background can prove to influence someone’s sexuality as stressors within a family, certain events, and invoked ideas are all present to sway how one thinks. It is evident that the character of Grendel thinks differently involving his rants of existence. His interest of mankind in general has left him fixated on humans and his isolation did not allow for him to be a part of their society. The conditions of his life could insinuate homosexual behavior just from the method of nature development. He was not connected to anyone that would convince him otherwise and was forced to adapt to situations as they approached him. The isolation Grendel had to deal with could represent the struggles of homosexual individuals have especially the idea of being secluded from the main body of society. A keen interest can be noted when “” Also when deciding to not kill the queen, he “concentrated on the memory of the ugliness between her legs (Gardner 110)” and proceeded to laugh. That moment in time could implement his disinterest in a woman or as he reduced her to like a child. Whether or not the character of Grendel is a homosexual creature, there is enough evidence to make a point and the conditions of his situations do hold reasoning on