Grendel's Nihilism In Beowulf

He no longer has the undertone of a child, rather, more of a man going through hard times. He believes that the gods had defied him a “rejection of the gods that, for (his) part, (he’d) known all along to be lifeless sticks” (Gardner 52). Later when Grendel talks to the dragon, the dragon reminds Grendel of his true self, that “nothing interests him (except) excitement, violence.” (Gardner 67). While to an extent, this is true, there are some parts to this that isn’t true, otherwise Grendel could not be a dynamic character.

He eventually came to a point where he wanted to put an end to his madness and set out to kill the monster. The novel of Frankenstein can be interpreted to a student who became so engulfed by the thought of recreating life from those that were dead that it ended up ruining who they were as a person. Through the pursuit of his found passion in his work he wanted to accomplish, the

However, Victors reckless and unthoughtful actions pushes the monster into a state of rage and hatred that overrides his ability to stop from exacting revenge on Victor. Victor initially creates the monster thinking that it will be an amazing creature, built from the best human body parts Victor could procure. After he views the outcome of his work he is repulsed by it and abandons it, hoping that it would cease to exist. Not only did the monster survive, but it learned to speak, write, and read. After reading the book Paradise Lost, the monster thinks of its own situation and states the following:

Betrayal in Beowulf When Beowulf goes on his quest to slay the dragon, everyone except for Wiglaf “runs for their lives to the safety of the wood” (175). To be fair, Beowulf is quite old at this point, so his men probably are not as confident in his abilities as they used to be. Still, Wiglaf gives them hell for their cowardice, referencing how they “pledged their loyalty” when “mead was flowing” and nothing was around to challenge their allegiance (177). The men still aren’t convinced, and continue to hightail it out of there. The situation alludes quite nicely to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus’s disciples abandon him after having sworn similar allegiances.

Are they changed also? It is most wonderful. Now am I fearful…” (Twain 342). Ogre myths are rooted in the most savage aspects of pre-human life (Cirlot 243).

He is saying that he left everything for his relentless search of knowledge and forgetting about his physical. I think that his suffering is do to the doubts that he had about life. When Victor gave life to the monster, he couldn’t believe the appearance of the monster that he just run away. This was another problem that caused his suffering because of his absences on taking care of the creature. Because of his lack of human appearance, society making something bad awake inside him rejects the monster.

Which is clearly displayed when he refers to creation as “it” (102), a “vile insect” (102), “wretch” (77), and a “filthy daemon” (77) multiple times. Victor directly told his creation, “Begone! Relieve me from the sight of your detested form” (104). Distinctly displaying conflict because he tells the creation to get out of his life constantly mistreating and

Victor fails to build a being similar to that of his own because of his flawed mentality, limiting Hakimian 3 the protagonist from recognizing the many treasures in his life. Likewise, Prometheus fails to accept his accomplishments and seeks to achieve more. The Titan abuses his powers by choosing to steal, justifying his actions by claiming to benefit humanity in the long run. The God of the sky seeks revenge on Prometheus by ordering eagles to tear open his stomach and feed off his liver.

(9.558-562). After calling out to the Cyclops and revealing his complete identity, Odysseus’ ships were driven off course in the complete opposite direction, further delaying their journey home. Odysseus’ struggle for kleos while living repeatedly affected him negatively. He continues to seek glory, regardless of the circumstances, and therefore ends up on the brink of death time and time again. Odysseus’ seek for kleos inhibits his ability to identify when the risks outweigh the benefits of any

He fights to the best of his abilities against many monsters such as Polyphemus, Circe, and the sea monster Scylla. There has been many claims that Odysseus isn’t hero because he lets his crew die. Just because his crew didn’t survive, it certainly does not mean he isn’t a hero. He tries his very best and even test his limits in order to get him and his crew back home. An example of this is in Homer’s

In addition, he fails to show loyalty to his crew. Through his indecisiveness, numerous members on his crew perished. For example, Circe advised Odysseus to avoid fighting Scylla. Instead of listening to the advice, he prepared to fight the monster and, as a result, lost six of his best men. Another instance in which Odysseus

Grendel and Frankenstein Paper Grendel, the savage beast from John Gardner’s Grendel, and the Monster, the murderous creation from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, seek companionship but ultimately turn to violence when they are rejected, suggesting that all beings need love. Although the two actively seek it, companionship eludes Grendel and the Monster, leaving them terribly alone and desiring someone to love and be loved by. The most notable example is his reaction to laying eyes upon Wealtheow, where he practically falls apart inside with lust.

In Beowulf, the dragon represents uncontrollable and sinful greed and anger. Angry that a man had stolen just one goblet from his vast treasure hoard, the dragon leaves his cave to burn and destroy the homes and property of innocent humans (Beowulf 2293–2325). While the dragon is obviously more powerful than the other powerful kings in the epic, the dragon’s power is considered dark and unholy because of the dragon’s materialism. The dragon’s willingness to destroy human life because of his misdirected anger also mirrors the Christian sins of wrath and pride, as the dragon prioritizes his life and material belongings before the rights of others. Again, this is contrary to the other kings in the epic, notably to King Hrothgar who genuinely cared and worried for the welfare of his people (147-149).

Grendel remains in an inner conflict with his beliefs throughout the entire story. He is directed by two compelling desires in which play a role in introducing him to the divergences between good and evil. The Shaper convinces him with his meaningful music, whereas the dragon persuades him through his ideology of nihilism. Both the Shaper and the dragon play a part in influencing his views on the human society.

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".