Beowulf: Examining Grendel
One of the reasons that Beowolf is such a timeless text is because of the entrancing ambiguity of many of the characters described. Perhaps the most quixotic is Grendel, an entity which is described as monstrous, but which might not actually be a monster. This paper will discuss how Grendel in many respects embodies so many forms of all that is monstrous. However, when determining if Grendel is a human being or more of a supernatural monster, this paper will show how the text demonstrates that he is indeed a monster.
Some scholars think that Grendel is intended to just be a human who is symbolic of supreme evil and all that is monstrous, however that is just incorrect. For example, some scholars will use the following quote as evidence that Grendel is actually human during his scuffle with Beowolf: “suffered grievous pain; a gaping wound opened on his shoulder; the sinews sprang apart, the muscles were bursting” (XIII, 25). Some people seem to think that because Grendel had a shoulder meant that he was just a human being that was meant to resemble something monstrous personified. Animals have shoulders, and some monsters do to. However, the most significant negation of this interpretation...
References
Gutenberg.org, & Hall, L. (2005, July 19). Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem. Retrieved from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16328/16328-h/16328-h.htm#page_5
Heaney's translation may seem a little more indirect since it is in verse, and given from an objective perspective but the message stays the same in both texts. Thus, Beowulf replies to Unferth's challenge by giving this time his own account of his sea experiences and the way in which he had defeated all the monsters. First of all, in both texts Beowulf begins by returning the mockery and
" (Ibid) Reflecting on Hall's revelation of Gardner's interpreting Beowulf's in terms of "the Three Ages, in which "youth is identified with the irascible part, middle age with concupiscence, and old age with the search for wisdom." Biblical comparisons include: Youth: "Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child..." Proverbs 25:15. (Blue Letter Bible) Middle Age: "The glory of young men [is] their strength..." Proverbs 20: 29. (Ibid) Old Age: And God
Beowulf, Grendel, and Grendel's Mother Monstrous? To be monstrous is to be something other than human, but monstrous means more than extraordinary; it is a term with a bad or evil connotation, so that those who are monstrous are not only outside of the realm of the average human being, but also outside of it in a negative way. In the novel Beowulf, one encounters three different characters who have
Grendel And After that it's Elephants All the Way Done Wagner's Grendel is one of the most finely crafted pieces of postmodern fiction because it performs both of the functions with which postmodern literature is tasked. First, it is a work of literature that shines on its own, that offers a significant reward to the reader regardless of whether or not the reader is familiar with literary traditions. Second, the work addresses,
. Beowulf is an example of the perfect hero. He is selfless, in that he sacrifices his safety to save other people. He is also lonely, ironically as lonely as Grendel in his own way, as he waits for the monster he must kill alone in the hall. However, Beowulf is also tied in a network of social obligations to his lord and king, as he only agrees to fight Grendel
While she is also monstrous and outcast, Grendel's mother is nonetheless also a sympathetic and emotional creature to a much greater extent than her son. The dragon that attacks Beowulf contrasts with Grendel's mother, in that his motivation is purely material. A further contrast is that the dragon's revenge attack is levelled at opponents that are disproportionate to his extreme power. Grendel's mother in turn was a single, female creature
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