ipl-logo

Essay On Grendel As A Monster In Beowulf

637 Words3 Pages

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. Grendel is classified as a monster due to his outsider status of being an outcast, unreligious, and dishonorable, which establishes him as the antithesis of Anglo Saxon culture. As an outcast of society, Grendel represents the idea that in Anglo Saxon culture unity and cooperation is what holds society together. In a world classified by kinship and strong family lineage, Grendel is “conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God” (Heaney 22). In a society focused upon blood lineage and strong family ties, to be related to a “monster“ in any form is something sinful, and cause enough for complete hatred. Thus, with no notion of who Grendel truly is, the Danes already believe him to be …show more content…

To heighten the conflict between Grendel and religion, Grendel is described as “forever opposing the Lord’s will” (Heaney 28-29). In Anglo Saxon Culture, every aspect of society is focused around God. To be anti-religious is to go against all aspects of their society. Grendel is almost a physical manifestation of the devil, and nothing is able to “quench his lust for evil” (Heaney 52-53). The parallel between Grendel and one of the seven deadly sins strengthens his connection to sins against God, and thus more monstrous toward the Danes. His main goal is to cause harm, yet he is never satisfied with the cruelties he

Show More
Related

  • Beowulf's Grendel-Human Or Monster

    330 Words  | 2 Pages

    He is portrayed in the poem as a horrendous beast with human characteristics, but looking closer to the text, he is a human out-casted and raised to be a monster. Although Grendel is written as a monstrous villain who kills with no remorse, he is actually a complex human with a repressed anger exploding in bursts. Grendel is often described in a negative way. He is reffered to as a demon in the text “from Beowulf”

    Read More

  • Beowulf: What Makes Grendel A Monster?

    551 Words  | 3 Pages

    1. What exactly makes Grendel a monster? The story of Grendel promotes both sympathy and empathy to the reader, instead of the idea of him being a monster from the perspective of Beowulf. With Grendel narrating the story, his behavior and thought processes can be logically explained and justified.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Frankenstein And Grendel

    226 Words  | 1 Pages

    He attacks his mead-hall, Heorot every evening. Grendel seems to be killing and torturing the Danes for fun, and they want revenge.

    Read More

  • Comparing Beowulf And Society In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1785 Words  | 8 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Grendel's Parent In Beowulf

    693 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout time people have experienced a lot of different things and these different events have built how people think. Though set in the Anglo-saxon and medieval periods the epic poem Beowulf is an Old English poem written sometime between the 500s in Scandinavia, Because of that, the narrator is characterized as Omniscient Despite viewing both Grendel and his mother as very wicked and violent, the narrator uses kennings, imagery, and diction to portray Grendel as anger and violent for no reason while portraying Grendel’s mother as violent and vengeful. In Beowulf During this time period there was a lot of evil and Christianity didn’t exist at the time so people had a different way of thinking. The narrator is a Christian and it is hard for

    Read More

  • Grendel And Beowulf Comparison

    1460 Words  | 6 Pages

    A monster is not determined by its appearance, shape or form, but rather by its character. A true monster is one that is a ruthless, unemotional being who takes pleasure upon the suffering of others. The two different stories of Beowulf and Grendel portray Grendel, his mother, and the dragon in different ways. In Beowulf, because the protagonist of the story is a human and not a creature, the focus of the story is portraying Beowulf as a hero and his rivals (Grendel, his mother and the dragon) as monsters. No thorough analysis of the creatures is incorporated and they are mainly judged by their frightening appearances.

    Read More

  • Is Grendel Good Or Evil

    980 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Internal Conflict In Grendel

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Grendel Psychoanalytic Analysis

    779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Psychoanalysis is the way the mind investigates itself through consciousness and unconsciousness by bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind. It brings better understanding to what shapes our personalities and why people are who they are. Grendel is just like everyone else, the way he grew up influences who he is. By looking through a psychological perspective we can get a better understanding of Grendel by observing him through Freudianism, object theory, and Neo-Freudianism. Grendel is seen as a monster that terrorizes the village in the eyes of the people.

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Beowulf And Grendel

    752 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Monster In 'Grendel' By John Gardner

    1809 Words  | 8 Pages

    Monsters are described as big, ugly, no-feelings creatures. They are also described as creatures of hell or creatures that are not acceptable in the society. This is disagreeable, not all monsters are ugly, and some monsters do have some feelings. The monster Grendel, in the book Grendel by the author John Gardner, shows that he is sensitive and has human's feeling traits even though he is a monster. Different events in the book, prove that the monster is impressionable and afraid.

    Read More

  • How Does Dick Ringler Use Darkness In Beowulf

    1219 Words  | 5 Pages

    Whereas, Beowulf’s encounter with the dragon. He knows that the dragon was truly a monster without any human characteristics. Whereas, Grendel possess human characteristics such as a human form and share mutual values such as a place to meet, meadhall. Grendel simply represent an alternative darker side of humanity, which is reflected in his underwater sea cave. Compared to the dragon, Grendel is more human than monstrous.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Beowulf And Grendel

    968 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing The Green Knight And Grendel

    451 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Monstrosity In Beowulf

    1285 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the poem Beowulf, there is a contrast between good and evil. This distinction is presented through the monsters Grendel and his mother, in parallel to the hero Beowulf. The themes of evil and monstrosity are therefore used in the story, as a way to create the notion of Grendel and his mother as monsters. Beowulf therefore appears as a character representing good. Although Beowulf shows traits of abnormal power, like Grendel and his mother, his motifs are interpreted differently.

    Read More

More about Essay On Grendel As A Monster In Beowulf

Open Document