In the epic poem Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, faces three “monsters” at different times in his life. The poem begins with Grendel, a monster who attacks only in the dark of night, tormenting the kingdom of Hrothgar. The last two sections of the epic detail the conquering by Beowulf of Grendel’s mother and the dragon. The battle between the monsters and Beowulf represent the theme of good versus evil in the poem, as well as the fusion of pagan and Christian ideals in the changing Germanic society. Grendel’s mother’s actions directly juxtapose the role of a woman in this time period, and the greediness of the dragon with his treasure contrasts with the virtues of what would be considered a good king. In the first section of the poem, Grendel …show more content…
The “Monstrous ogress” was “savage in her grief,” and her actions become even more beastly than her sons (Beowulf 1258-76). Women in this Germanic Warrior society were meek, so the actions of Grendel’s mother greatly contrast with the typical behavior of a woman in this time period. Grendel’s mother’s gruesome actions are beastly in nature, but her emotions of outrage and grief for the murder of her son are human. Once again, Beowulf’s victory of the savage monster shows the overall theme of good winning against evil. The third and final evil Beowulf must face is the dragon. At this point in the poem, Beowulf has been the “ring-giver” or king for half a century (Beowulf 2207). The role of a king in Germanic times included rewarding warriors with treasure captured in battle; however, the dragon keeps his treasure to himself. This greediness is in direct opposition to the qualities of a good king, and the dragon becomes the representation of selfishness and destruction. Beowulf takes on the role of a warrior once again, and defeats the dragon. Beowulf is injured in the fight, and he dies along side his defeated
While Grendel’s mother tried to kill Beowulf, she shows compassion and a sense of protectiveness over her son, which is--and was--relatable to many
Grendel is disturbed by the Danes enjoyment of life and happiness; for revenge he ruins their enjoyment and happiness. Grendel is a descendant of Cain, “he was spawned in that slime, conceived…monster” who was a “ murderous creature banished by God”(19-22). He finds harassing and killing innocent people entertaining. Beowulf comes and vanishes Grendel and stops him from continuing his evil acts. On the other hand, Beowulf and the Danes assume “Grendel`s elimination” is the last monster they will encounter, but “believing that [the] evil has been eradicated” the unexpected happens, “Grendel’s mother appear[s]”(Kardaun 1).
Grendel is the Anglo-Saxon’s resident bad boy, or is he? Rather than the angry “monkey see, monkey do” type of savage found in Beowulf, Gardner turns Grendel into a philosopher and one who is infatuated with humans. Grendel is fascinated by how they act and how they kill just as much as he, though they are not seen as monstrous. Gardner’s novel, appropriately titled Grendel, is about Grendel’s journey with the humans and how his experiences shape him into the
This paper will endeavor to examine archetypal representations of the female in Beowulf as evidenced through both Grendel’s mother and Wealtheow. Traditional scholarship holds that Grendel’s mother is a monstrous female—either a “swamp hag” or some other form of hideous beast. However, examination of the work of contemporary scholars such as Christine Alfano, as well as a close reading of the original Old English text reveal that Grendel’s mother is not portrayed in monstrous terms whatsoever. While she is depicted as a warrior and a mother bent on revenge, she is not portrayed as a beast. Converse to this active female, lies the passivity of Wealtheow, who is commonly accepted as the archetypal Anglo-Saxon wife, a producer of male heirs and a quiet confident of the aged-warrior king, Hrothgar.
Evil Outline Thesis: Grendel is evil because was he isolated by society, neglected by his mother, and had no identity or purpose. Neglect The fact that Grendel’s mother does not show affection towards him is directly linked to why he has developed into an evil being. “‘Why are we here?’
In the story “Grendel” by John Gardner, the monster Grendel is portrayed as a beast. Grendel is shown as a villainous monster in the epic poem, Beowulf. Throughout the story, Grendel shows characteristics including jealousy and bitterness. These features substitute Grendel's murderous intentions and turns him into an evil creature. Near the end of the novel, Grendel’s villian trends transforms his life into a never ending battle for acceptance.
Beowulf’s character is portrayed as an epic hero, who is a leader, with unusual human strengths. In the epic poem “Beowulf,” I believe that Hrothgar and his people are the “real” monsters. The three battles; the battle with Grendel, the battle with Grendel’s mom, and the battle with the Dragon all show different ways that tell how Hrothgar and his men are the real monsters. Grendel is the first monster that Beowulf fought. Grendel is a horrifying, gruesome monster that lives in an underground lake that is considered to be his laier.
Eventually, a third and last monster appeared. This time the monster was a furious dragon that would attack and burn down the villages of Geatland. Obviously, Beowulf was ready to take on the dragon in a fight, but unfortunately, after defeating it, his wounds were not to fix. Sadly, Beowulf had fought his last fight. Eventually, The Geat’s held a worthy funeral for Beowulf, and they even built an enormous barrow where he could rest in peace.
In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are clear distinctions between an epic hero and a monster. Beowulf is the prime example of a epic hero possessing characteristics such as superior strength, courage, and loyalty. On the other hand, Grendel and Grendel’s mother are characteristized as evil and immoral based off of their actions. These characteristics are presented throughout the poem, and monsters are given grotesque, hideous appearances to further prove that they are evil. After Beowulf kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother reaction revealed how the full presentation of a character can allow readers to react differently than before and even sympathized with them.
The author recalls, “Suddenly then the God-cursed brute was creating havoc: greedy and grim, he rushed to his lair, flushed up and inflamed from the raid, blundering back with the butchered corpses” (Beowulf 126-129). Grendel had no self restraint and was excessive in his killings and tortures. These malicious incidents prompted Beowulf to come to the Danes and set up a surprise attack which would later be the reason of death for Grendel. Although Grendel is the first monster in this epic poem, he can stand for the whole idea of what barbaric elements are and his death can represent how the civilized will always conquer
By foreshadowing Beowulf’s death when he boasts “for the last time” just before fighting the dragon (2511), the poet insinuates that Beowulf is to become the sort of hero that his people will revere most highly, as death resulting from wounds sustained in battle would have been the supreme act of heroism in Beowulf’s time. It is this particular act of courage in the face of certain death that truly shows the extent of Beowulf’s valor and that he is a hero of the most distinguished sort. Also, given that his heroic death occurred after fighting a dragon rather than some other beast or a human, it is implied that defeating such creature is more valiant than to slay any other foe, just as Tolkien
The monster in Beowulf, known as Grendel, is a representation of human fear, hatred, and impulse. On page 44, the narrator states, " He found them sprawled in sleep, suspecting nothing, their dreams undisturbed... He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them..." Because the Anglo Saxons mainly lived on the coast of England, they feared that vikings or some other enemy will come attack them in the middle of the night. Grendel, this excerpt is a reflection of that fear,where Grendel is the enemy.
As a payment to the king of the Danes, he decides to fight the dragon, just as he fought Grendel. Then he was a warrior and now he is a king responsible for his people. Beowulf’s decision is courageous but inappropriate for a king. His foolish but courageous decision causes him to die in the end. Before he fought the mighty dragon, he said “I’ve never known fear; as a youth I fought in endless battles.
She was unable to be beaten because of her powers. Beowulf falls for her beauty and makes a deal of peace and wealth in exchange for the highly sought after drinking glass. This shows how Grendel’s mother is viewed completely different in the movie over how she was viewed in the poem. Through examining both Beowulf, the movie, and Beowulf, the poem,the similarities and differences reveal what was important to the societies that created them. We are shown how Beowulf is changed from an honorable hero to a man distracted by women, how Grendel is given a backstory to make the viewers have empathy towards him, and how the roles of women have changed over time from being weak to now unbeatable.
Since an animal is incapable of feeling greed, the reader is left to assume that Grendel, and by extension his mother, are in fact human. This revelation introduces conflict when Beowulf slays them, because it is much harder to justify killing a human than killing a simple beast. The reader feels grief when Grendel’s mother dies, because in a sense, it was simply a mother avenging her lost son. When put this way, it creates uncertainty if the main character is truly “good” or not. By giving Grendel and his mother human qualities, the author has succeeded in creating a narrative that Grendel, or at least Grendel’s mother, had a logical reason to act the way they