The novel "Grendel," by John Gardner, and the poem "Beowulf," by an author who remains anonymous, may feature the same cast of characters, but the portrayal of these characters varies greatly between these two stories. In the epic Beowulf, Grendel is portrayed as a heartless, monstrous being who takes joy in terrorizing the Danes, while Beowulf is portrayed as a valiant warrior from the Geatlands, who saves the Danes from this horrifying monster. However in Grendel, the titular character is shown as a childish, nave being who kills because of his own emotional turmoil, and Beowulf is shown as a cold, murderous man who not only wants to kill Grendel, but wants to torture him mentally as well. Although these two works tell the same story, each one will give you an entirely different point of view. .
In the poem Beowulf, Grendel is portrayed as bloodthirsty and animalistic, but when we see the story from his point of view in Grendel, he just seems scared and confused. While Grendel is listening to the Shaper's song from outside of the Mead Hall, it strikes an emotional chord, and he decides to try to join the Mead Hall celebrations, crying to the Danes, "Mercy! Peace! Friend, friend " (Gardner 51-52). However, Hrothgar's thanes believe that Grendel is attacking them due to his monstrous appearance and begin to fight him with spears and battle-axes.", and Grendel has no choice but to fight back and kill them. Grendel only wants to join the Danes and listen to the shaper's song, and has no idea why he has been attacked in this way, which makes him sad and angry. In Beowulf, this same attack is seen through the eyes of the Danes, where Grendel, "greedy and grim, grabbed thirty men from their resting places and rushed to his lair " (Line 123-124). The Danes believe that Grendel attacked them outright, whereas in Grendel, he was provoked. This leads to their assumption that Grendel is a remorseless killer.
The way the two characters are described physically, also gives the two stories completely different spins. ... In Beowulf, his hiding in the woods shows his cowardly side. ... Beowulf and Grendel are written in two completely different time periods. ... Grendel is perceived in a round way and a flat way between two books. ... In a sense, Grendel is the story of Beowulf told by Grendel's perception. ...
As people from Denmark and Sweden invaded England they brought several of their stories and legends to England. ... It is believed that the actual story of Beowulf took place two hundred years before it was permanently copied on to paper, and the author us unknown. ... This story was saved it is "a story of dreams and legends, of a community threatened by evil of supernatural monsters, supernatural weapons and supernatural heroes" (Pera). ... "Beowulf literally "jumps at the opportunity to fight Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon" (Warfare in Beowulf). ... "If Beowulf belongs t...
Later, when a written tradition was introduced, they began to write the story down on tablets. The manuscript was written by two scribes around AD 1000 in late West Saxon, the literary dialect of that period. ... The story of a race of demonic monsters and giants descended from Cain. ... But if the dragon is of the same kind as Grendel, why was Beowulf unable to defeat him? ... But even with God at his side, Beowulf, like all men, must die. ...
The story of Beowulf takes place around Scyld's descendent Hrothgar's ancient mead hall. ... The story explains, "Now Grendel came, from his crags of mist/Across the moor; he was the curst of God" (Beowulf 16). ... Other than Grendel, Beowulf faces Grendel's mother. ... The trouble is shown here, "The lake and cliff alongside it, brave men/Staggering under the weight of Grendel's skull, /Too heavy for fewer than four men to handle-/two on each side of the spear jammed through it-/Yet proud of their ugly load and determined/That the Danes, seated in Herot should see it." ......
In every situation there are always two sides to the same story. The death of Grendel in the novel Beowulf is quite a contrast to the portrayal of the same event in the novel Grendel. The death of Grendel in Burton Raffel's Beowulf is portrayed as a monumental event that has the power to affect the fate of a nation. ... While Beowulf views his battle with Grendel as an act of bravery and a task that must be completed, Grendel sees things just a bit differently. ... What can not be easily denied, however, is the fact that there is a startling contrast between the death of Grendel as port...
In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf and the monsters prove to be foiled characters as the story progresses. ... Fate choose Good over Evil for the first two battles. ... Fate was once again on Beowulf's side. ... Luck was on his side for having the ultimate sword placed on the wall to kill Grendel's mother. ... In the poem Beowulf, Fate is usually on Beowulf's side. ...
"I do not consider myself a lesser fighter than Grendel does himself; therefore I will not kill him with a sword, and deprive him of life in that way....No: this night we two will abstain from swords..." (19-20) That night, even after hearing of all of Beowulf's heroic defeats, the warriors still feel that no man on earth will be able to stand up to the evil Grendel carries. Beowulf will either defeat Grendel or die in the process. ... Beowulf prepares to go in and look for Grendel's mother. ... It seems as if He was watching all along, as He does, waiting for the right moment to sho...
What god means to one man and what he means to another can be two distinct things. ... Through the following examples and quotes from the story the various relationships with God will be discovered from the characters, Beowulf, Grendel, and Hrothgar. ... This statement made shows that Beowulf believes that God will punish Grendel for the wrongs that he has committed, and Beowulf takes satisfaction in this. ... This statement shows that Beowulf truly believes that God's intervention helped him defeat the evil of Grendel's mother and without the help he would have died. ... Amongst th...
