Grendel's more human side is significantly explored in the novel Grendel by John Gardner. Gardner retells the story of Beowulf entirely through the mind of Grendel, portraying him more like an antihero than a full on villain. Grendel is shown be able to rationally think about things and even question the actions of others and himself. On the other hand, the original story depicts Grendel as a mindless killer who's only goal is to wreak havoc upon Hearot. Hrothgar and his people believe Grendel is a cursed evil creature. However, Grendel does not solely view himself like this. Yes, there are instances where Grendel clearly expresses his pleasure in murdering the men of Hrothgar in extremely graphic ways, yet Grendel occasionally questions why he goes out on killing sprees. Furthermore, Grendel is capable of sparing characters in specific circumstances, such as letting Wealhtheow live (barely since he was on the cusp of tearing her apart) and letting the truce between Hrothgar and the young prince commence as he hid in the trees. All these qualities suggest Grendel is struggling to have a sense of purpose in his life. He desires more than to just hate on Hrothgar and humans in general for attacking him just for his appearance. This is similar to the narrative in Frankenstein (both characters are attacked because of their horrendous appearances even when they do nothing to provoke such actions). Just like Frankenstein's case, Grendel eventually finds a purpose that unfortunately involves more senseless murders. Grendel is lead to believe by the Dragon that he should continue to terrorize the humans to give them a sense of purpose. Thus, in the midst of his personal conflict, Grendel may be killing the humans because he was led to believe that was the right thing to do in his circumstance as a loathed and feared monster.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Grendel and His Personal Conflicts
Depicted as a hideous creature with no sense of what is right or wrong in various iterations of the story of Beowulf, Grendel is your typical portrayal of a monster in our modern era. In the movie Beowulf (2007), Grendel is animated to be a grotesque, deformed figure. With gray, scaly skin, abnormal bodily features, and a generally disturbing face to look at, it is understandable why people cower in fear even before Grendel rips the the head off a helpless body. Additionally, it appears that Grendel can't speak, but can instead make ear-piercing noises. However, during the scene before Grendel's arm is cut of by Beowulf, Grendel can be heard frantically attempting to communicate with Beowulf, almost like he is begging for mercy. Apparently, Grendel spoke in Old English dialect. What I found interesting about this part is what he said: something on the lines of "I am not a Monster". Connecting this with his noticeable displeasure during his battle with Beowulf, I believe Grendel is not a complete monster without feelings. Rather, Grendel is a reasonable creature who is struggling with his identity.
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I agree with the idea that Grendel has monstrous tendencies as sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy: he is told he is a monster, and in response, he behaves more like a monster by killing people. Perhaps that idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy can also be translated to the humans in the novel, Beowulf. For example, Beowulf is a character praised by all for this strength and power. As a result, he risks his own life to save a distant land from the murderous hand of a monster and later, the monster’s mother. He is told he is powerful, and he makes his best effort to live up to his name, guaranteeing that Grendel’s mother “will not get away” (97). What does the King do in response to this guarantee? He “praised God for Beowulf’s pledge” (97). Beowulf’s ego gets out of control, and when the dragon puts up a fight, Beowulf’s commitment to his title takes his life.
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