Grendel’s Internal Battle Throughout John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, Grendel’s thoughts are constantly at war with each other. He does not know what or whom to believe, and how to distinguish lies from what he knows to be true. The Shaper’s songs, the brutal reality of the corpse, and the dragon’s cynical way of thinking all change Grendel’s view of life and thoughts, and are examples of how the art of falsehood in seen throughout the novel. The art of falsehood is a constant, reoccurring theme in this novel. In chapter three of Gardner’s novel, readers are introduced to the Shaper; whose songs about life and history cause Grendel to question everything he had ever believed to be true. In this chapter the Shaper tells of the Danish history, including songs about Scyld Shefing the founder of the Danish line. The Shaper sung of greatness and heroism and even to those who witnessed the …show more content…
It was a man. They’d cut his throat. His clothes had been stolen.” Grendel knows that some of the Danes had brutally killed one of their own, and wants to use the corpse as proof that he is not the only evil being in Hrothgar’s kingdom. Grendel goes to the Mead Hall to prove his point but stops to listen to the Shaper’s newest tale, “He told of an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light. And I, Grendel was the dark side, he said in effect. The terrible race God cursed.” Even though the corpse shows that the Shaper’s line of darkness and light is not as black and white as he says it to be, Grendel believes in the words and enters Hart asking for “Mercy!” and “Peace!” The corpse symbolizes the theme art of falsehood because it contradicts the Shaper’s words. The Shaper says that there is a distinct difference between men and Grendel, but the man killed by a fellow Danes says
He walks around angrily shouting, “‘Bastard!’” (Gardner 52) and “‘Bullshit’” (Gardner 54) damning the human's’ happiness and the Shaper’s words. Grendel despises the human’s attack on nature and their ignorance, a message Gardner wishes to impart on the readers. Grendel witnesses the humans “throw stones, or kill [an oxen]”
He says he can crush all the men in meadhall in a single night. Grendel states, ”My enemies define themselves...on me” (91). But Grendel starts to question himself and realizes he needs humans as much as they need him. Grendel thinks, “What will we call the Hrothgar-Wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked?”
When Grendel is first presented, he is described as
When Grendel hears the Shaper’s harp and stories, he is so overcome with emotion that he enters the mead hall and “sank to [his] knees, crying, ’Friend! Friend!’” (Gardner, 52). The Shaper was singing of the divide between darkness and light within the word, and Grendel associates himself with the darkness of the world and the rest of the world with the light of the world. Because of this, Grendel feels intense desolation as he feels separated from the human world.
Grendel Insight In the novel Grendel, by John Gardner, portrays Grendel 's characteristics altering as he meets new characters; throughout his journey to mankind. Mankind teaches him vast new knowledge he 's never understood. His nihilistic and solipsism is formed through the characters in the novel; envy and anger are also shown. He plays big roles in terrifying the Danes and some what of the Geats; they mold him into the monster they fear the most.
To heighten the conflict between Grendel and religion, Grendel is described as “forever opposing the Lord’s will” (Heaney 28-29). In Anglo Saxon Culture, every aspect of society is focused around God. To be anti-religious is to go against all aspects of their society. Grendel is almost a physical manifestation of the devil, and nothing is able to “quench his lust for evil” (Heaney 52-53). The parallel between Grendel and one of the seven deadly sins strengthens his connection to sins against God, and thus more monstrous toward the Danes.
Especially , because he knows the songs are not true. Grendel went back to the mead hall to hear The Shaper sing a song once again. This time Grendel did not feel anything at all. For instance , he said “ I know only that it had a strange effect on me : it no longer filled me with doubt and distress , loneliness , shame . “
Early in the novel, Grendel listens to the Shaper and says “he told of an ancient feud between two brothers which split all the world between darkness and light. And I, Grendel, was the dark side” (Gardner 51). Grendel believes the words of the Shaper and is overcome with sadness at the truth in it. In most cases, truly evil characters take pride in being viewed as threatening figures. Grendel, on the other hand, is ashamed and does not wish to be viewed as a dark figure.
In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, written in 1971, there are numerous concepts of the human nature portrayed and discussed. With the progression of the novel, the humans become develop to be described as increasingly careless, vicious and futile. Starting with Grendel 's first encounter with the humans to the death of the protagonist, Gardner illustrates an unusual view of the humans and their interactions with one another. Grendel begins as a creature similar to the people he observes, with many shared characteristics and thoughts, even though not all of the their actions are understood. His lasting wish is to be accepted into their society, as they accompany each other and he suffers of loneliness.
Grendel remains in an inner conflict with his beliefs throughout the entire story. He is directed by two compelling desires in which play a role in introducing him to the divergences between good and evil. The Shaper convinces him with his meaningful music, whereas the dragon persuades him through his ideology of nihilism. Both the Shaper and the dragon play a part in influencing his views on the human society.
In the novel Grendel by John Gardner, Grendel’s largest internal conflict is whether or not he can overcome his predestined status of monster. Throughout the course of the story Grendel is influenced by both sides, human and beast, through the dragon and the Shaper. Although Grendel initially wants to align himself with the humans, no matter how he tries to communicate with them as an equal they will not accept his company, causing him to become lonely and angry. Grendel’s anger turns to violence, which makes the humans turn further against him and, as he is alienated from any sense of humanity he ever had, he eventually discovers that he has no choice and must fulfill his role as the enemy to humans. Initially, Grendel’s free will
You make them think and scheme. You drive them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are for as long as they last. You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves,”(Gardner 72). The dragon confirms Grendel ’s expected role in relation to the humans, and instills in him that that is his place in the world.
Grendel in both stories is described as a vicious "Monster", but is viewed differently. The character of Grendel, in the novel by John Gardner, portrays a different visualization than that of Grendel in the epic poem Beowulf. In the novel the story is told in first person point of view which gives Grendel human qualities while Grendel in Beowulf is told in third person point of view not giving Grendel his standpoint. In both works, the authors give two different perspectives of Grendel. Grendel in the novel is not seen as a "Monster", but as a human that has emotions and is very sympathetic about everything that comes his way.
John Gardner gave Grendel emotions that the reader was able to see and hear through his own words. Grendel told tales of his childhood causing the reader to become invested in Grendel’s past giving the feeling of a connection. As in the way he describes instances of his imaginative play, “I use to play games when I was young…explored our far-flung underground world in an endless wargame of leaps onto nothing…quick whispered plottings with invisible friends” (Gardner 15). Consequently, this information gives the feeling of sympathy for Grendel, for his lonely childhood and circumstance. Gardner continues to play on the sympathies of the reader after Grendel’s first interaction with the Danes.
Grendel attacks the Danes because he is an evil creature, and hates the happiness of the Danes in the Heorot hall. All the noise that the men make causes Grendel to become very irritated and does not want them to be celebrating and partying at all. Grendel's attacks kills many Dane warriors. Grendel wants to kill every single warrior that is the Heorot hall. The only thing that can help the men stay alive is if they are not in the Heorot hall.