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Roles of women in the book of beowulf
Roles of women in the book of beowulf
Roles of women in the book of beowulf
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Grendel’s story is not only from his perspective, but it also starts far before Beowulf enters the picture. Grendel does not even know of man’s existence before he encountered Hrothgar whom he starts to fear when he says “I knew I was dealing with no dull mechanical bull but with thinking creatures, pattern makers. The most dangerous things I’d ever met” (pg 27). His first encounter with these men left him wanting more. He spent most nights watching them in the shadows, trying to make sense of their actions.
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.
Beowulf is brave and grendel is spiteful. They both act out pride because Beowulf is an epic hero and most epic heros let the pride eat then. In other words it gets to their heads, which then hurts them in the end. Grendel has more of a vengeful pride. He killed Herot men for fun and because he was annoyed by their stories.
Beowulf is a story about a geatish warrior saving Denmark from the god-cursed Grendel, killing Grendel’s mother, becoming king of the Geats, and fighting a dragon. It is a classic take on the Anglo-Saxon society and their ending. This paper will be discussing about whether or not Beowulf was altruistic in his quest to save Denmark from Grendel. Altruism is the act of helping others for unselfish reasons, rather than for ones own benefit. Beowulf is not an altruistic character in his quest to save Denmark from Grendel.
Several differences can be seen throughout the old-English Beowulf (Heaney) and the modern-day film Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson) due to the cultural difference between the Middle ages and Modern time. More details entered the film to appeal to a more modern audience that requires reason and details. The old English poem held no use for complexity to tantalize the reader. Additions that add complexity to Grendel’s character in Beowulf and Grendel include backstories and new characters.
The Beowulf poet doesn’t describe Grendel and his mother’s appearance because it makes people imagine how the giant monster is supposed to look like. Yes, the poet should have left a brief description of their appearance. When people can imagine the monster’s looks they can make it look scary by their standards. People have different ideas of what they would find scary, and if they get a detailed description of a monster they might not find that monster’s image as scared as it could be. They can imagine if Grendel’s claws are strength and sharp like a knife or are curved and thin like a cat’s claws.
His masculinity proves to be Grendel’s mother’s ultimate downfall. No matter her strength or power, it was no match for Beowulf, the manliest of all
In this story I (Grendel) am going to tell you how I an ogre died because of misjudgment. They judged me without knowing me and turned me into a monster someone I never thought I would be. It was a warm sunny day in the swamps I took off to wonder like any other day. I would play in the forest and sometimes I would also get hurt while playing. Other times I would get lost and get really scared but, mama would always come and find me.
The sword that Beowulf uses to kill Grendel’s mother – where did he get it? What should the audience learn from this detail? Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother with a sword he finds on the wall of the cave. The sword is ‘an old sword made by giants, string of its edges, glory of warriors” (line -), bigger than any average sword and ornately decorated.
Prepared to spill the blood of unsuspecting, intoxicated warriors in their slumber, Grendel fleetly removed the strengthened door to the Herot with monstrous strength and cruelty. Grendel's strides were expansive. With every step, the beast's huge, thickened feet much flew, one once the opposite. the ground gave the impression to be instantly displaced owing to his spectacular lightness. " His eyes gleamed within the darkness, burned with a grotesque light".
The “Monstrous ogress” was “savage in her grief,” and her actions become even more beastly than her sons (Beowulf 1258-76). Women in this Germanic Warrior society were meek, so the actions of Grendel’s mother greatly contrast with the typical behavior of a woman in this time period. Grendel’s mother’s gruesome actions are beastly in nature, but her emotions of outrage and grief for the murder of her son are human. Once again, Beowulf’s victory of the savage monster shows the overall theme of good winning against evil.
In Grendel, by John Gardner, the majority of the story is focused on a character named Grendel, who is characterized as monster-like. During the story the readers are permitted entrance to Grendel’s subliminal and inner monologue, providing the sense of a personal relationship with him. This leads to enthrall one into express sympathy with Grendel, with historic literature in novels the main character is predominately a “good guy”, so having him be the protagonist this helps support that theory. Though this happen, Grendel often proves that he is ultimately not the hero in the novel. The contact that he has socially is highly limited, but his personality is extremely affected by this short contact with the other characters.
When Grendel dies from the power of Beowulf, this does not leave Grendel’s Mother amused. Grendel’s Mother is attacking Herot and “she’d killed a glorious soldier,cut a noble life short. No Geat could have stopped her”(Beowulf 416-417). As seen in the quote, Grendel’s mother is very upset about what happened to her son. By killing a soldier and terrorizing Herot, she is getting revenge for the death of her son.
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.
Her actions do seem cruel and evil, but she is also a grieving mother that wants to avenge her son. After Grendel’s death, “Grendel’s fierce mother” begins to exhibit human-like characteristics such as her caring and protective nature for her child. This can be shown when she carried “off the claw that Beowulf tore from her child” to demonstrates her anger and grief for her son’s death. While she is characterised to be a “she-wolf,” she is also a “mighty mother” that just wants to protect her child. Her whole purpose of killing Hrothgar’s friend and wreaking in Heorot is was to avenge Grendel’s death.
