Grendel's Character Analysis

Words: 534

Pages: 3

Open Document

A powerful monster who lurks in the darkness goes by the name of Grendel. He is a descendant of Cain, for that he is cursed by God. For fun he kills and eats animals. Surprisingly, he also eats people. He views, deer, rabbits, and bears with the same value as he views men, even though he has a passionate hate for humans (Gardner 8). His actions revolve around the freewill he has in his life.
Although he might be a descendant of Cain, he still shows his soft side. He shows freewill by the choosing to eat people instead of catching wildlife. He can eat anything in the world, but he chooses to eat the Danes. Although he has the qualities that desires a monster, he closely imitates the feelings and thoughts of a man. His role towards enemies would be altered if he lived by fate. He controls his own actions, as like everyone else. He has the intelligence and the capability to reroute his actions, but he chooses not to. Sometimes Grendel would reconsider his actions and motives.
In Addition to, if Grendel killed all the men in the mead hall, he would have nothing else to do. That also shows his free will, because he chooses not to eat everyone …show more content…
Not only does he choose what he eats, but he also philosophizes over his existence. Some may say that, when he was born, he was cursed. “He was cursed because he is the descendant of the mighty evil Cain” (McDougal 44). With this curse his life is described as mechanical, he experiences a type of euphoria when he kills his prey, especially when it comes to Beowulf. Although Grendel calls himself a “pointless, ridiculous monster crouched in the shadows, stinking of dead men, murdered children, martyred cow”(Gardner 6), he feels like a monster that doesn’t necessarily have to play the part of one. Overall, by the end of Gardner’s novel, it becomes very clear that through Grendel may be cursed, he does have the ultimate ability to choose how he lives his

Nihilism In Grendel

In the novel, Grendel, by John Gardner, the main character, Grendel undergoes very important philosophical changes. Even though humans see Grendel as nothing more than a mindless beast, his philosophical development throughout the book shines a light on his true intelligence. Grendel’s starting philosophy is existentialism but it changes to nihilism after he meets the dragon. At the beginning of the story, Grendel feels isolated because he realizes that he is unique; there is no one like him. Another…

Words 506 - Pages 3

Does Grendel's Free Will Cause The Future?

Based on the book Grendel and literary analysis’, Grendel shows and grows through the philosophies existentialism, skepticism, and nihilism. TOPIC SENTENCE Gardner wrote, “‘Dragons don’t mess with your piddling free will. Pah! Listen to me, boy.” (pg 63) This quote is part of the long conversation that Dragon and Grendel have about free will and the meaning of life. Grendel only knows what people tell him and what he observes so by Dragon telling Grendel to not mess with his free will stands out…

Words 624 - Pages 3

Essay on Beginning Beowulf

Renee Tawil EN-227 Dr. Starke January 31, 2015 Beowulf: A Hero Who “Held to His High Destiny” Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon work that was rediscovered in the 18th century. This epic poem has gone through speculation and analysis over time for at first it was perceived solely as a document of Nordic life. Today this poem is viewed through a poetic and artistic lens that allows readers to appreciate it in a new light. Undoubtedly this elegiac piece handles a variety of internal inconsistencies, which…

Words 811 - Pages 4

Beowulf and Grendel Essay

prevalence of bravery juxtaposed with cowardice within the novel and the film suggests that acts of heroism are situational and dependent upon one’s exhibited characteristics at any given occasion. Both the novel and the film represent at least one character as having traits compatible to heroism. In the novel, Queen Wealtheow possesses bravery in a situation where she had very little to be optimistic about. She was the sister of Hygmod, young king of nearby Helmings. When the powerful Hrothgar became…

Words 1328 - Pages 6

Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Hero

integrity are a few of the many which heroes are made up of. Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon hero who is a man with heroic characters such as probity, astute, and bravery. For example, he helps people in need of assistance because he knows he can help them. Although, he does not have to provide aid he does so and makes it strategically. Astute, when on the brink of death battling with Grendel’s mother. Beowulf was able to defeat her without sustaining any injuries. The last characteristic of Beowulf being…

Words 1011 - Pages 5

Similarities Between Hamlet And Beowulf

chivalric. In this analysis, the stories that are going to be discussed are Beowulf and Shakespeare's Hamlet. Beowulf is an epic about a hero, Beowulf, that goes to Denmark to help the king with a monster that was terrorizing the kingdom. The tragedy, Hamlet, is about a prince who has to take upon himself whether or not to avenge his father's death. The themes between these two texts have similarities, but differ in other aspects, as well do the duties and personalities of the main characters. For example…

Words 1281 - Pages 6

King Arthur Beowulf Analysis

Throughout history, authors have used a common theme of heroism and a dominant male character. The epics and legends of King Arthur and Beowulf all share these common themes as well as the idea of man saving his people. In King Arthur's legend, he was always motivated to fight for his kingdom and people whenever needed. Beowulf also demonstrated these themes when he defeated the villains in his world for the good of all civilians. Even though each story was written in a different time and by different…

Words 686 - Pages 3

Evil In Grendel Research Paper

opinion” (Pt. 1, Ch. XI). On the other hand, the renowned Sigmund Freud presents the idea that all men are wicked by nature. It is stated in his work Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego that “All that is evil in the human mind is contained as predisposition” (10). Each of these arguments can be applied to the characters in the book, who present their own perceptions of…

Words 1087 - Pages 5

A Hero's Motivations In Beowulf

Hero’s Motivations (An Analysis of Beowulf’s Motivations) What is a hero? Some people's first thought goes to those who perform need jobs like military service or doctors. But another common thought that springs from the word ‘hero’ is superheroes.The entertainment industry has capitalized on this topic, creating many well-known series. But where did such ideas originate? The idea of a superhero originated from the Anglo-SAxons epic poem Beowulf. Not only is the main character, Beowulf, the first…

Words 875 - Pages 4

Analytical Evaluative Novel Questions Essay

font color. Your answers to these questions will be due on Monday, December 8 turned in on Moodle. A rubric for the assignment is at the bottom. Analysis: 1. Who is the central character of the book? Grendel “I, Grendel, was the dark side.” Pg 51 2. What is the book’s most important event? (i.e. which book is the most life-changing for the central character?) I’d say the most important and life changing event would be when Grendel died, this is pretty life changing for him because he goes from having…

Words 1878 - Pages 8