The Grendel in Beowulf is more animalistic unlike the Grendel in the novel who shows human-like qualities. This is shown by how the Grendel in the poem shows no motivation for his actions, he was more violent, and non-intelligent, unlike Gardner’s Grendel who showed motives, was sympathetic towards humans, and he expressed a philosophy that displayed his intelligence. In Beowulf, Grendel is watching Hrothgar’s Hall and all of his people hear about how God created the world and the first murder, Cain. Grendel watched the people as if he was his predator and they were his prey. He is described as “a powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient (1-2).” Grendel being described as a powerful monster, growling and impatient
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A quote from lines 34-36, show his beastly violence, “the monster’s thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: … Snatched up thirty men, smashed them.” Grendel brutally killed those men and more in the coming days of his terror. Grendel was greedy to kill the young men and the rest that he had slaughtered while they slept. Grendel had no thought of rationality in his mind for he killed for the pleasure joy of it. Though out the rest of the Epic Poem, Grendel spewed no words of intelligence nor did he seem to have a personality, but only a mind of an animal. A quote from lines 260-263 depict Grendel as even more of an vicious beast, “For its grave: Grendel will carry our bloody Flesh to the moors, crunchy on our bones and smear torn scarps of our skin on the walls if his den.” That quote tells the reader that Grendel is a “man-eater” and that he uses the scraps of his “prey’ to decorate his den. This is evidence of Grendel’s madness and beast-like qualities that have no resemblance to …show more content…
Drive him deeper and deeper into woe? I have no answer, except perhaps this: Why should I not? Has he made any move to deserve my kindness? (Gardner 122)” This quote discusses how Grendel believes that Hrothgar doesn’t deserve his kindness and his own sanity. It is a human quality to be unforgiving and to hold a grudge. However it can be linked to Grendel’s rivalry with Hrothgar who he thinks deserves nothing, Grendel’s motives are to ruin Hrothgar’s clan.
In the beginning of Grendel’s battle with Hrothgar, Grendel meets Unferth who tries to prove himself a hero. Grendel makes fun of Unferth, laughing at his failed “Heroism”, and throwing apples to humiliate him. Grendel ends up making Unferth faint and instead of killing him Grendel “picked him up gently and carried him home. I laid him at the door of Hrothgar’s meadhall, still asleep, killed the two guards, so I wouldn’t be misunderstood, and left (Gardner 90).” This quote from the novel represents Grendel’s sympathy for humans, but also his diabolical nature that is in a way
A quote from lines 34-36, show his beastly violence, “the monster’s thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: … Snatched up thirty men, smashed them.” Grendel brutally killed those men and more in the coming days of his terror. Grendel was greedy to kill the young men and the rest that he had slaughtered while they slept. Grendel had no thought of rationality in his mind for he killed for the pleasure joy of it. Though out the rest of the Epic Poem, Grendel spewed no words of intelligence nor did he seem to have a personality, but only a mind of an animal. A quote from lines 260-263 depict Grendel as even more of an vicious beast, “For its grave: Grendel will carry our bloody Flesh to the moors, crunchy on our bones and smear torn scarps of our skin on the walls if his den.” That quote tells the reader that Grendel is a “man-eater” and that he uses the scraps of his “prey’ to decorate his den. This is evidence of Grendel’s madness and beast-like qualities that have no resemblance to …show more content…
Drive him deeper and deeper into woe? I have no answer, except perhaps this: Why should I not? Has he made any move to deserve my kindness? (Gardner 122)” This quote discusses how Grendel believes that Hrothgar doesn’t deserve his kindness and his own sanity. It is a human quality to be unforgiving and to hold a grudge. However it can be linked to Grendel’s rivalry with Hrothgar who he thinks deserves nothing, Grendel’s motives are to ruin Hrothgar’s clan.
In the beginning of Grendel’s battle with Hrothgar, Grendel meets Unferth who tries to prove himself a hero. Grendel makes fun of Unferth, laughing at his failed “Heroism”, and throwing apples to humiliate him. Grendel ends up making Unferth faint and instead of killing him Grendel “picked him up gently and carried him home. I laid him at the door of Hrothgar’s meadhall, still asleep, killed the two guards, so I wouldn’t be misunderstood, and left (Gardner 90).” This quote from the novel represents Grendel’s sympathy for humans, but also his diabolical nature that is in a way