Grendel's Solipsism Analysis

When talking about Grendel, he pretty much goes through a few stages as a little kid and to how he is at the moment. As a kid, Grendel was mostly innocent when he pondered and wandered around his own world that was also an unknown for him, such as the universe. In his “prime”, he discovers a lake of fire snakes, that is full of danger and just treacherous. When he crosses this lake, it shows that he is going into adulthood, pretty much. Also how the encounters has been making impacts on Grendel and changing his personality. Like Beowulf, the shaper, and the dragon.

Up until the end of Chapter 7, Grendel’s actions are influenced by the dragon.  He believes nothing matters, there is no good or bad, and everybody eventually dies. The people of Heort know Grendel as a monster and a killer and he lives up to his reputation. He says he can crush all the men in meadhall in a single night. Grendel states, ”My enemies define themselves...on me” (91).  But Grendel starts to question himself and realizes he needs humans as much as they need him.  Grendel thinks, “What will we call the Hrothgar-Wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked?” (91). While Grendel is thinking about what life will be like without him and the men of the meadhall, Wealtheow’s beauty charms Grendel. He says, “She was beautiful, as innocent as

Grendel is mortified with his purpose in life and driven by emotions which makes him plead for his purpose. “I had determined at the time that the memory of these evils should die with me; but you have won me to alter my determination” (14). He has to face the purpose he was told to behold since he was born and lived in Dane Kingdom. Ever since that he roamed around killing, “But deer, like rabbits and bears and even men, can make, concerning my race, no delicate distinctions. That is their happiness: they see all life without observing it. They're buried like crabs in mud. Except men, of course” (8). When Grendel reference how he gets to experience this but somehow he doesn’t get his purpose.

Equally important, the innocence Grendel had as a child provide an outline for his lack of baneful intentions. One act of innocence that has shown through Grendel’s entire life, from childhood until death, was a tendency to call for his mother when in danger of any kind. Putting this into perspective, shortly before the death of Grendel, on page one-hundred and seventy, he calls for his mother for the final time. “Mama!” he is heard bellowing. Another key point of Grendel’s dependance on his mother can be found on pages eighteen and nineteen. On these pages, he repeatedly begs for his mother to come and rescue him as he finds stuck in two trees and injured. “Please mama please!” Grendel whines. Grendel also speaks, on page sixteen, of exploring

Throughout the poem Beowulf, the author, whom to this day is still unknown, uses light and darkness to explain good and evil characters and events. This unknown author describes Beowulf, the hero of the story, and other people and events as bright, as well as making many references to the sun and sunlight. The monster that Beowulf defeats named Grendel, is often described as a shadow or only emerging in the dark of night. The imagery is used with light and dark is used to represent the good and evil that the author saw as he was Anglo-Saxon and likely pagan as well. Imagery is used often throughout the poem, but especially when Grendel and Beowulf are first introduced and when they fight.

In chapter 12 of the book Grendel , Grendel’s last words were “ poor Grendel’s had an accident...So may you all ” Grendel’s last words were meant as a curse. When Beowulf ripped Grendel’s arm off and Grendel slipped on blood .The animals , also his enemies were watching him die. Grendel hopes the animals that they will all die. For instance , he said “ Animals gathered around me , enemies of old , watch me die I give them what hope will appear a sheepish smile “ ( Gardner 173 ). In addition , Grendel said “ They watch on , evil incredibly , enjoying my destruction “ ( Gardner 174 ) .

“He twisted in pain, and the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder snapped, muscle and bone split and broke,” (Lines 347-377). It is obvious that Grendel is in pain but, the reader for the rest of the poem does not know what Grendel’s struggles are or how he describes himself. Because this poem is not in first person or even in Grendel's view there is no relationship between the reader or Grendel. “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell…” (Lines 15-18). This quote from the poem only makes Grendel seem like he is a vicious monster but, if anyone had read the novel they would know that Grendel was all alone in a world where he was like no one else. Now in the novel and the poem there is philosophy but the difference is that in the poem it is an older form of philosophy. “That I, alone and with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall,” (Lines 244-245). This philosophy was written in. Time where people believed that they would fight because they wanted to be the hero for the

Through out history evil has been best depicted as the absence of goodness and goodness as the absence of evil. With goodness being comprehended as the direct opposite of evil. It is under speculation that maybe there can 't exist only one general meaning of good vs. evil. I trust this, in light of the fact that any one individual 's perception of good or evil is without a doubt directed by one 's social comprehension of certain qualities and ethics within their culture, i.e. the power of social conformity (Muncaster-Social Psychology Lecture, 2016). Yes, there can be cases of evil that is seen as malevolent all over the world but due to the ethnocentric component of the perception of cultural morals and values, one is unable to categorize another individual as evil or good based upon their own cultural understanding of this notion. As they have been socially and culturally influenced to believe contrary to the fact.

In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, written in 1971, there are numerous concepts of the human nature portrayed and discussed. With the progression of the novel, the humans become develop to be described as increasingly careless, vicious and futile. Starting with Grendel 's first encounter with the humans to the death of the protagonist, Gardner illustrates an unusual view of the humans and their interactions with one another. Grendel begins as a creature similar to the people he observes, with many shared characteristics and thoughts, even though not all of the their actions are understood. His lasting wish is to be accepted into their society, as they accompany each other and he suffers of loneliness. During the next years, Grendel begins

In their respective novels, the monster from Frankenstein and Grendel from the novel share many similarities as well as differences that can be seen throughout their separate novels. While the number of differences between the two novels are abundant, we will mostly be looking at how each of these two complex novels are similar to each other. In focusing on their similarities we look at how they both feel alone and isolated, they both want companionship, and they both are at times enticed by humanity.

Shadow Stalker, God-cursed Grendel, The Captain of Evil, and Monster are all nicknames of one creature. This one creature was named Grendel who brilliantly said “Balance is everything”. For Grendel to figure out that balance, or in other words the yin and yang, is integral to living says a lot about a “murderer.” Grendel cannot live without a hero and a hero cannot live without a challenge. The humans symbolize the hero withstanding the forces of Grendel, while Grendel symbolizes the villain trying to hurt and dismantle the hero. This constant fighting creates a balance between the two forces of good and evil, until one succumbs to the other.

Grendel is on the edge of dying and is on the floor looking at the forest animals that have

Though their stories are different, intertwined in their own ways, their stories, when stripped to their underlying strands of text, are quite similar. Two separate beings, forged by the hands of a creator long gone, find themselves in a cold, cruel, world where their differences cast them out. They are neglected by their creators and rejected at every turn by all they come across. Without guidance and without discipline, these beings are made to grow in a world they do not know, to fend for themselves. The beings, Grendel and the Monster of Frankenstein, charge their way through a world that despises them, searching for companionship, for acceptance, and for their self-worth. Try as they might, they cannot succeed and their sorrow turns to

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.

Like the monster, Grendel takes interest on the humans, spying on them. Both characters have this attraction to humans, and it seems as if although they are “knocked away,” their interest keeps pulling them