Grendel Reading Questions (Due 9/25)
Directions: Answer the following reading questions using complete sentences in the comments section of this post. Begin your comment with your name (dconlay-p3). Be sure to number all responses to correspond to the questions. Be sure to use textual references in all responses. Suggestion: Write your ansers to a word document (avoiding extra formatting) and then copy your response to the comments.
Character
1. What do you know directly (and what can you infer) about Grendel after reading only the first paragraph?
2. What, if anything, do you think young Grendel learns about himself and the world while he is trapped in the tree?
3. Describe the quality of Grendel's relationship with his mother.
4. Grendel is a fairly close and curious observer of humans throughout the book. What does he think of them as a young monster, before he meets the Dragon, and then after the dragon-encounter?
5. Describe the effect of the Shaper's songs on Grendel's sense of the world, of humans, and of himself.
6. Why do you think Grendel does not kill Ork or Wealtheow when he has the chance?
7. What physical and psychological traits does Gardner give to the Dragon?
8. In what ways is Grendel a "modern" monster?
9. How does Grendel create for Unferth a fate worse than death? Why does he do this to him?
10. Could Hrothulf be seen as a "typical" teenager or young adult? Why or why not?
11. What seems to be Hygmod's dominant personality trait? How do you recognize this?
12. Is Beowulf the same kind of hero in Grendel as he was in the original poem? How is he the same? How is he different?
Point of View
13. Why would John Gardner choose to retell Beowulf from the monster's point of view? What is to be gained from such a shift?
14. How does Grendel's telling of his own story affect your response to him? How is this response different from the way you thought of him in Beowulf?
15. Try to imagine this novel written from the third person point of view - though still from the monster's side. What does first person narration add to Gardner's tale?
16. Imagine that the author of the original Beowulf epic has just read Gardner's book. What would his reactions be? What might he like about the novel? What would confuse or upset him?
Theme
The Meaning and/or Meaninglessness of Life
17. What gives meaning (a sense of purpose and value) to the life of each of the following characters: Hrothgar, Wealtheow, Unferth, The Dragon, The Shaper, Red Horse, Ork, Hrothulf, Beowulf?
18. Grendel's narration is full of references to a mechanical universe. Why do you think he uses this image? What does this reveal about his own sense of the meaning of life?
19. Why does Grendel do all he can to mock and deny the idea of The Heroic?
The Power of Art/Song/Language/Shaping
20. Describe the effect of the Shaper's songs on Grendel's sense of the world, of humans, and of himself.
21. How do humans in the novel change the world and themselves through their craft and art?
The Need for Community
22. Grendel is an outsider, but he does sometimes express or show a desire to be part of a community - even the human community. Describe some of these moments. What are the outcomes of his need to belong?
23. What does Grendel see as some of the strengths and weaknesses of the human community?
Good vs. Evil
24. Although Grendel in Beowulf represents all that is evil, Gardner seems to take a different, more complex approach. Identify some signs of potential goodness in Grendel. What prevents these "seeds" of goodness from developing?
25. What exactly makes Grendel a monster? Consider not only his physical appearance but also his moral and spiritual understandings.
26. Where does Grendel find Evil in the world? According to Grendel, who or what are "the bad guys"?
27. Who or what is Good in Grendel's eyes? Of what does that goodness consist?
Freedom vs. Determinism
28. How much (if any) of Grendel's behavior is determined by Instinct or Nature? How much (if any) is determined by his own Will (conscious choice)?
Setting
The Cave
29. What is it about caves and monsters? Why are they so closely asociated with each other? How might the cave in this novel be used in both literal and symbolic ways?
Hart
30. From Grendel's point of view, what is the most interesting thing about Hart? What does Hart seem to represent to him?
31. What does Hart mean to the humans?
The Natural World
32. What does Grendel think and feel about the physical world through which he walks?
33. Discuss the ways in which Grendel's language (his choice of words and images) is colored and shaped by the natural world around him.
The Human World
34. How effectively do you think the physical conditions of the human world are portrayed through Grendel's eyes? What does Grendel find most striking about the way these humans live?
Grendel in Other Contexts
35. Does Grendel in this novel remind you of any character in another book or film?
36. It has been said that Gardner used this ancient tale of Grendel to tell a very modern story about the nature of Evil and the quest for a meaningful life in the 20th century. In what ways do you find this to be true?
37. Discuss John Gardner's creative use of anachronism in this novel.
38. Discuss the meaning of The Heroic in both the original poem of Beowulf and in Gardner's novel. What does it mean to be a hero? Could it be that Unferth is the most honorable character in Gardner's novel?
posted by dconlay @ 9:30 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
tbrownP3-
1. Grendel seems to be very stubborn for he is waging what he thinks is a pointless war for twelve years. He also seems like he likes to be intimidating and scary to others because he keeps trying to get the attention of the ram as well as scare him off.
2. Grendel realizes that he is alone in a world filled with crazed violence. He now knows that he cannot always rely on his mother to save him and that everything else in the world doesn’t matter to him they’re just objects in his way meant to push him along.
3. I believe Grendel and his mother have a very good relationship. You can tell that they are both very close and love each other a lot even thought they have a communication barrier. When Grendel gets scared of the world his mother takes hold of him and holds him close to her to reassure him that everything is all right which shows she cares a lot about him.
4. As a youth, Grendel is very curious about the humans, he is very hesitant about encountering them but he still wants to learn more about them. Their violent ways scares him and puts him on alert when near them. After the dragon encounter, Grendel views the humans as small and meaningless creatures that cannot hurt him. He knows he is much smarter than them so he is no longer afraid of them.
5. The shaper’s songs show how the world will believe anything you tell them and how everyone is mindless and just does what they are told because they all believe the shaper’s songs. It shows that how humans are very brutal and love to kill because they all got excited when the songs talked about death. The shaper’s songs irritated Grendel and also angered him quite a bit but he always returned to hear them which shows that he was captivated by the shaper.
6. Grendel doesn’t kill Ork or Wealtheow when he has the chance to because first of all he doesn’t need to and he doesn’t want them to think he’s just a ruthless killing machine. He wants them to be able to go back and tell others how he spared them their lives. At the same time he wants them to fear him and go back and tell others and bring fear to all humans.
7. The Dragon has the ability to be able to see both the past and the future. He also has a treasure hoard which shows all of his success. He is also good at understanding the bigger picture which makes Grendel respect him.
8. Grendel is a “modern” monster because he is not just a monster seeking to kill everything in his path. He takes everything into careful consideration before acting upon anything. He always uses his brain before his brawn which is unlike a typical monster. He also loves his mother and has a very caring relationship with her.
9. Grendel creates for Unferth a fate worse than death by beating him and showing ability to beat event he bravest of men. This is devastating to Unferth, a man built around honor and his reputation. He does this to show to all humans that he is unbeatable and to not mess with him or he will just make you look bad.
10. Hrothulf could be a “typical” teenager because he has mood swings where he’s either very happy or sad and can‘t control his feelings or know why he feels this way. At times he seems quite rebellious which is very typical of teenagers. He also has a sense of the world but doesn’t understand why everything is the way it is.
11. Hygmod's dominant personality trait is his need to always be in charge and dominating others. By always being a threat to Hrothgar he shows his need to be in control and always on top.
12. No Beowulf doesn’t seem like the same type of hero in Grendel as he is in the original Beowulf. In Grendel he seems more immortal and higher than all the other humans because he is the only human to have hurt Grendel but in the original Beowulf they try to over emphasize the fact that he is merely a normal human being.
13. John Gardner would choose to retell Beowulf from the monster's point of view to show a completely different aspect of the story. In Beowulf, Grendel in made out to be a ruthless monster and by retelling it with Grendel as the narrator it helps show Grendel’s thought process and compassionate side.
14. When Grendel tells the story you find yourself rooting more for him and siding with him but in Beowulf you found yourself disliking this savage beast who was known for killing everything in his path and bringing fear to humans. Grendel telling the story helps balance out your feelings for both Grendel and Beowulf.
15. The first person narration adds all of Grendel’s thought processes without it you would not feel as sympathetic to Grendel. It really helps show the fact that he is not just a mindless beast, that he is very smart and is always thinking and that he is capable of being very compassionate at times.
16. If the author of the original Beowulf read Grendel I think he would be a little offended that Grendel is made out to be not so much of a monster as a creature capable of thinking and loving. He would also find it strange that Beowulf is made out to be somewhat immortal being he is the only one who could hurt Grendel.
17. Hrothgar represents the good in all people and shows that everyone has flaws because even the perfect king can’t get rid of Grendel from his kingdom. Wealtheow as well represents good and a type of purity. Unferth is the idiotic man who is Grendel’s challenge. The dragon as well as the shaper both seem to be Grendel’s inspiration throughout the novel. Beowulf gives meaning to Grendel as Grendel gave meaning to all the other characters.
18. Grendel uses this image to show that he understands the difference between real and fake. That he is a very sophisticated creature capable of many things.
19. Grendel does all he can do to mock and deny the idea of the Heroic because Beowulf is supposedly the hero and since Grendel and Beowulf are enemies it would make no sense for Grendel to support this idea because he wants to support himself.
20. The shaper’s songs show how the world will believe anything you tell them and how everyone is mindless and just does what they are told because they all believe the shaper’s songs. It shows that how humans are very brutal and love to kill because they all got excited when the songs talked about death. The shaper’s songs irritated Grendel and also angered him quite a bit but he always returned to hear them which shows that he was captivated by the shaper.
21. Humans in the novel change the world and themselves through their craft and art by changing the views around them. The shaper had everyone in agreement with his songs which shows how easily molded the human mind is. Everyone there was easily influenced.
22. Grendel shows his need to be excepted into a community when he constantly goes back to listen to the shaper even though he doesn’t believe what he is saying just to get a better understanding of the human community. He would also frequently go to the mead halls to scare the people so he could feel like part of society for just a few seconds.
23. Some of the strengths that Grendel sees in the human community are their unity and ability to work well in groups. Some weaknesses are their constant drinking habits as well as their poor thought process which is even more effected by their drinking.
24. Some signs of potential goodness in Grendel are the facts that he didn’t kill Ork and Wealtheow, he loves his mother, and he wasn’t just all about killing everyone. What prevents these "seeds" of goodness from developing is Grendel’s need to be superior to the humans because he cannot be apart of them. Even though he loves his mother he takes a greater pride inbeing a monster so he must hide his softer side as he gets older.
25. Grendel’s a monster because he is a loud, scary, bear-like creature that brings fear to the human population. He kills and scares people for his enjoyment and also because it’s part of his role as a monster which he willingly accepts.
26. Grendel finds evil in the hands of humans because they do not kill for survival but for mere pleasure. This makes Grendel some what evil for taking pleasure in his chase of killing humans and makes him more creditable as being the monster.
27. Grendel finds good in all things that help him live his life such as his mother or the animals. They do not hurt him or pose as a threat so they automatically become good.
28. Grendel’s life is balanced between both will and nature. It is his own will that has him killing humans and trying to scare them but it‘s his reactions to those actions which are acts of nature. He keeps scaring the humans because he likes the way it makes him feel or because they make him angry.
29. Caves and monsters are so closely realted because caves are dark and scary just as monsters are. They both also seem quite lonely and reserved. The cave is the one place where monsters don’t have to appear evil or bad because there is no one else there, it is the one place they can let their guard down.
30. The most interesting thing about Hart to Grendel is the fact that the people can change from civilized, good-natured people to drunken crazed maniacs. Hart seems to represent how everything has two sides you just have to look a little closer to see it sometimes, like Grendel and his compassionate side.
31. Hart means a lot to the humans since they keep rebuilding it every time Grendel knocks it down. But it is also the once place where they can all go to just relax and forget about their worries and have a few drinks.
32. Grendel thinks that the physical world is very harsh and unforgiving. The humans play a big role in this belief of his because they isolate him and make him feel alone. They also have their drinking problems and they savagely kill which make them seem even worse.
33. Grendel is a monster who hisses, growls, and moans at times which is all part if the natural world. He also wants to feel and be like everyone else so his thoughts of himself and the things around him are shaped to the thoughts of the people around him. That’s why he believes his cave is homey and just an average place to live even though most humans would never want to live in a cave.
34. I think the physical conditions of the human world are portrayed quite well for the fact that Grendel is an outsider looking in on a lifestyle he knows nothing about. He finds it most striking that humans can put their lives aside and have fun and don’t always have to worry about everything and don’t always have to be in survival mode.
35. Grendel doesn’t really remind me of any other character that I can think of because each character in every work is unique in their own way and hard to repeat.
36. I find this to be true because he shows how the meaning of evil changes over time to fit to it’s surroundings and the nature of the people. Also he shows how everyone, even monsters like Grendel, are in search of the meaning of life and how for the rest of time people will be continually on the hunt for this answer.
37. Gardener puts the events in the novel out of order to emphasize the more dramatic parts. So instead of seeing a slow change of Grendel’s, as well as the world around him‘s, outlook on life you see more of a dramatic fast paced change which makes it more interesting and noticeable.
38. To be a hero you must be honorable and stick you your morals and what you think is right. The hero doesn’t always have to come out on top, often times he doesn’t, he just has to be able to keep his dignity and the respect of others at all times. In Beowulf being heroic is the main theme for that is what the whole book is about but in Grendel it is quite the opposite. It is Grendel mocking the heroic idea the whole time. Unferth could be seen as the most noble because even though he was defeated he never sacrificed his morals to win, he rather just accepted defeat.
rmaxwell p3
1. By simply reading the first paragraph, I know that he is a beast but has some similarities to humans. I can infer that he wishes to be more that a dumb beast and wants to better his life.
2. When Grendel is stuck in the tree, he begins to feel lonely. He realizes that he is all alone with the exception of his mother.
3. Grendel has a very strong relationship with his mother. She is the only one that is there for him and that cares for him. She is all he has. This causes them to be very close. The main barrier in their relationship is language.
4. The young Grendel viewed the human race as ignorant. After his meeting with the dragon, he begins to think worse of the humans. He is even more repulsed by their sin, war, and lack of compassion.
5. The sharper’s song greatly influences Grendel’s perception of humans. He sees the light in which they view the heroics the culture idolizes which Grendel despises. The songs also affect him emotionally and makes him question who he is.
6. Grendel does not kill Ork or Wealtheow of some good he has within him. Throughout the book, he occasionally demonstrates this. He sometimes transcends his beastial nature.
7. The dragon is seen as strong and all knowing. He is very smart and intimidates Grendel.
8. Grendel is modern in that he is not like the monsters that are often recorded throughout history. Those monsters are savage beasts with an intent to kill. Grendel seems to have reason. This portrays him as a more modern post enlightenment character. This meshed with beast makes him a modern monster
9. Grendel creates for Unferth a fate worse than death. This is dying without honor. He does this because he doesn’t believe in honor and looks down condescendingly on all of mankind.
10. Hrothulf may be seen as a "typical" teenager because he acts on a whim and can be seen as sort of immature.
11. Hygmod dominant trait is his resilience. He seems to stand strong regardless of the situation against him.
12. Beowulf is not depicted as the same kind of hero in both stories. His actions are the same, but each author tries to guide the reader toward a different meaning for the reasons behind it. He is seen as courageous and heroic in Beowulf, but that is not paralleled in Gardner’s account.
13. Gardner retold the story from the opposite point of view in order to reveal many underlying themes in the plot. Beowulf can be seen as having a good versus evil plot. Telling the story from Grendel’s point of view enables for the presentation of many other hidden aspects of the story.
14. Grendel’s telling of his own story allows you to further empathize with him and his plight. In Beowulf, Grendel was simply seen as an unwanted barbarian in need of purging.
15. By telling the story from Grendel’s point of view, the reader is exposed to the thoughts, feelings, and desires of the once thought emotionless beast.
16. The author of Beowulf would not like Gardner’s account of Grendel. He in effect managed to butcher the story and twist its meaning to suit his own purposes. It manages to strip Beowulf of his heroic identity and sympathize with the enemy. Since Beowulf was used by the inhabitants of Britain as a form a national identity, Gardners account is entirely counter to the true nature of the story.
17. Hrothgar's motivation is in his duty to his kingdom. Wealtheow's motivation is Hrothgar. The dragon is motivated by his view of the world. The shaper's is motivated by his idealistic view of the world. Unferth's motivation is his understanding of heroism. Red horse is motivated by government corruption. Ork's motivation is his faith.
18. Grendel uses a mechanical image of the world because he feels that the world is meaningless and that it doesn’t have much intelligence. He feels distances from it and it seems to work without his intervention.
19. Grendel does all he can to mock and deny the idea of The Heroic because he doesn’t agree with it. He perceives the human race is be petty and that acts of heroism aren’t possible. He also sees no reason no reason to exalt any human.
20. The sharper’s song greatly influences Grendel’s perception of humans. He sees the light in which they view the heroics the culture idolizes which Grendel despises. The songs also affect him emotionally and makes him question who he is.
21. Humans change themselves immensely during Grendel’s period of observations. At first they were primitive and nomadic. They later advance further through there craft and art. They propel themselves into a more advances age though the use of their ingenuity.
22. One such instance in which Grendel wished to be part of the human community was when he heard the sharper’s song. He longed to be able to express his thoughts and ideas with the same ease the sharper did. This would require him to become a part of the human community as his mother had long ago abandoned all forms of language.
23. Grendel sees many strengths and weaknesses in the human community. The main strength he observes is language and man’s ability to communicate. This is something he longs for as it is unobtainable in the company of his mother. He sees the humans greatest weakness as their sin and violence. He sees constant repression and bloodshed.
24. There are several instances in the novel where Grendel shows signs of potential goodness. A couple are when he spared the life of Ork and Wealtheow. This goodness was not allowed to grow because of Grendel’s outlook on life. He held contempt for many of the actions of man and this prevented the bearing of any fruit.
25. Grendel is a monster. If it looks like a monster, acts like a monster, kills like a monster, then it is a monster. That is a basic understanding of it. Hatred flows through him and he is in opposition to the human race. His reason and morals are also no where near adequately developed.
26. Grendel finds evil in the world in the human community. He finds it in their societies and in the humans themselves. He views the humans as the bad guys and this causes greater resentment.
27. Grendel views Hrothgar’s wife, Wealtheow, as the epitome of goodness. He sees no vice in her and does not harm her. She is the antithesis of everything he has grown to despise among humans.
28. When answering this question in a modern perspective, reason is seen as the divider between will and instinct. Therefore this question boils down to a simpler one, does Grendel have full possession of his faculties of reason? I would have to say he does not, his reason is clouded by the fact that he is a beast. Therefore, most of his actions are caused by instinct as opposed to will.
29. Caves and monsters are closely tied throughout literature. This is because monsters are primitive, unintelligent beasts. A cave is perfectly suited for them. It is prexisting, and not of the monsters own creation. This is important because monsters main purpose is to destroy, not to create. Caves are also extremely strong dwelling places, symbolizing the longevity and power of monsters.
30. The most interesting thing about hart is how it captivates the souls of humans. They care immensely for it and are very proud of it. It represents the nature of humans and shows him the paradox of how humans can care more for Hart then their fellow men.
31. Hart is very meaningful to the humans. It is there home and gives them a true sense of belonging. It is seen by them as a symbol of hope.
32. Grendel doesn’t think highly of the physical world. He doesn’t believe that it has any true importance. He believes that he is the only truly important being and that the world is lacking of true thought and intelligence.
33. Grendel’s language is shaped immensely by the natural world around him. He starts to adopt the speech and linguistic mannerisms of the humans in which he observes. These observations also seem to influence his views of his relations with the world.
34. The physical conditions of the human world are portrayed quite effectively through Grendel’s eyes. The thing that Grendel finds most striking about the way these humans live is the rampant sin and vice, which plagues their culture. They are in constant war and they live there lives without morals.
35. Grendel tends to remind me of Voldemort. Voldemort was not intrinsically evil, but he became for evil through his experiences. Voldemort had the misfortune to be an orphan and Grendel had the misfortune to be a beast. They both killed people during the night.
36. It has been said that Gardner used this ancient tale of Grendel to tell a very modern story about the nature of Evil and the quest for a meaningful life in the 20th century. In what ways do you find this to be true?
I find this to be true because the story delves into the area of the nature of evil. Grendel is also on a quest for a meaningful life, but he doesn’t find it. Being killed by Beowulf could have been considered meaningful though, it must have been exciting to say the least.
37. John Gardner uses anachronism to make Grendel seem more contemporary. By giving him certain qualities of observance valued in modern scientific culture, he is easier to empathize with.
38. In Beowulf, the Heroic is a great and honorable person who proved his right to the title with his courage. In Gardner’s novel, Beowulf is looked down upon and there is no real hero in the story. Unferth is in no way the most honorable character in Gardner’s story.
E. Vivar
period 3
1. I learned a lot of things about Grendel after reading the first paragraph. I can infer that throughout the story, he will have a vicious mentality. “I shake my two hairy fists at the sky and I let out a howl so unspeakable that the water at my feet turns sudden ice and even I myself am left uneasy.” Pg. 5 Also, he will be used to this fighting, “and so begins the twelfth year of my idiotic war.” Pg. 5
2. While he is trapped in the tree I think he realizes that the he has total control of the world. In other words, he believes he is the only one who exists and nothing else in this world matters to him. Furthermore, he is ignorant. “I understood that the world was nothing…I understood that, finally, and absolutely, I alone exist. All the rest, I saw, is merely what pushes me, or what I push against, blindly-as blindly as all that is not myself pushes me back … I create the whole universe.” Pg. 22
3. Grendel and his mother have a really close relationship. This relationship is unique though, mainly because they are their own kind of, not humans, yet act and show affection like one. “She loved me, in some mysterious sense I understood without her speaking it.”pg. 17 He feels her mom is the only one who understands who he is, and is there to listen. She was there when he was stuck in the tree. “I’m going to die…please mama…” pg. 20-21
4. When Grendel was a young, he simply doubted humans, in terms of having an affect on him. He was completely ignorant of them, when he shouldn’t have been. “Then all at once there they’d be again, the indifferent, burning eyes of the strangers. “pg. 17 as time went by, he began to realize that humans were a serious threat to him, as they had the ability to think beyond what Grendel expected.
5. The Sharper’s songs, with its melancholy tones, affected Grendel emotionally. “The harp turned solemn…I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp. Stood wriggling my face, letting tears down my nose, grinding my fists into my streaming eyes.” Pg. 51 He began to have a thought, that he was the evil one causing chaos. He could now see that violence was corrupting the world. He no longer saw humans as indifferent, but as caring.
6. Grendel has a purpose for not killing them. Instead, he keeps them to show everyone that he has that killing ability and will do so. Knowing that he could easily kill them, he wants to be seen as a fearful monster. This is all for the purpose of building up his image as a strong warrior.
7. Gardner gives the dragon both physical and psychological traits to the dragon, to imply a fearful image. He was formally described as being gigantic with some age upon his body wearing him down a bit, yet still strong. “My heart shook. His eyes stared straight at me. My knees and insides were so weak I had to drop down on all fours. His mouth opened slightly. Bits of flame escaped. “pg. 58 Later, he embraces his physiological trait, which was that he knew everything. In other words, he could see the future, and with that, he was prevailing.
8. Grendel can be classified as a modern monster. As a unique monster, he possesses the ability to think beyond his creature self. Moreover, he has that sort of human mentality, such as feeling sympathy towards something or someone. He can perceive things and make conclusive judgments. In addition, he understands man kind and himself, something that other creatures can’t do.
9. By not honorably killing him Unferth, he gives a fate worse than death. Upon making his decision not to kill him, Grendel held to his philosophy of heroes and heroism not being existent. “All very well to talk about dignity and noble language and all the rest, as if heroism were a golden trinket, mere outward show, and hallow. But such is no the case monster, that is to say “. He clearly justifies his actions, and does not look back on them. Simply, this is for a good cause.
10. Hrothulf, in my opinion, can be classified as a “typical teenager”. Like all teenagers, he resents authority and has a rebellious mentality. He is a self worker who dislikes cooperating with adult figures. Such teenagers like Hrothulf can be seen in today’s current society, for example those who are in juvenile hall for unlawful reasons.
11. It is safe to say that Hygmod’s dominant personality is his ability to hide his thoughts, and not let anything get past him. He is calm as he fears nothing, and thinks positive at all times. By showing no emotions at all, he gives off no clues to those trying to figure out his thoughts. “His eyes were expressionless, as dried-up wells”. pg. 98
12. Differences are clearly evident between the original poem and Grendel. In Grendel, he is depicted as a monstrous evil machine, which lacks caring and warmth traits. He no longer is warm hearted Beowulf who helped his people at all times. Simply, this is all due to the story being told through the eyes of the antagonist, Grendel.
13. John Gardner’s brilliant idea of retelling the story from Grendel's perspective serves a good purpose. By doing so, it allows us to see the struggles, plans, and thoughts of the opposing side, something not given to us in many epics. The reader can now make conclusions about who Beowulf and Grendel really were.
14. Grendel’s telling of the story affects my response by sort of feeling a bit of sympathy for him, as he describes in detail his struggles and success in life. This response if different from the one I had in the original Beowulf mainly because I was reading from the hero’s perspective, which almost in all cases, the monster is portrayed as possessing no good traits.
15. If this story was told from the third person, I personally would not feel Grendel’s thoughts and actions as if it was told form the first person. The first person narration gives it a more personal feeling, as we can relate and understand what was occurring more clearly. I am glad he made it this way, and I think no other way can make it as exciting.
16. Upon reading Gardner’s story, the original author of Beowulf would simply accept it as a well written piece of literature. First of all, he would commemorate the idea. The first person antagonist perspective would impress him the most. I personally think he would not be upset with any remarks made about Beowulf in this story, not even as he is looked as a cold hearted creature.
17. Authoritative power and wealth gives Hrothgar the sense of value in life. He finds his economic status to be the most important aspect of his life. Wealtheow’s main reason for living is to be a servant to her king. Unferth’s heroic thoughts are the only things he values in life. For Ork, he values God and follows his religious writings. Last, Beowulf’s heroic actions for the people are what give him the sense of value in life.
18. His references to a mechanical universe serve to purpose to illustrate and tell of the cycle of life. This reveals that he has a blind vision in the meaning of life. He’s not sure if he values it. In other words, he begins to sense if he is mechanical like the others.
19. Grendel does all he can to mock and deny the idea of The Heroic. He himself being the monster thinks that no other, by killing someone who has done wrong, should be classified and seen as a hero.
20. The Sharper’s songs take a great effect on Grendel’s sense of the world, humans, and himself. “The harp turned solemn…I believed him. Such was the power of the Shaper’s harp. Stood wriggling my face, letting tears down my nose, grinding my fists into my streaming eyes.” Pg. 51 He begins to realize that the world is large, and within that world there are humans, who now Grendel officially fears. Also, this makes him doubt himself if he is able to surpass them.
21. Humans in the novel change the world and themselves through their craft and art. They revolutionize the cycle of life. They establish a basis for the later generations of life to come.
22. Grendel evidently expresses and shows a desire to be a part of a community, but falls short. After hearing the Sharper’s songs and attempting to fit into human society, he can’t handle it , and begins to get angered. Such wrong actions lead to an outcome of humans seeing him as a monstrous figure that can never fit in , and will always be an outsider.
23. Grendel sees the human community as a powerful force, consisting of intellectual thinking and gathering. Their ability to work together and communicate impresses Grendel the most. A weakness that he sees in the human race is their lack of physical strength, which in Grendel’s eyes, is key to success. Although they lack that, the mental part makes up for it.
24. One sign of potential goodness in Grendel was when he had the chance to kill the Ork, but didn’t. By displaying a bit of sympathy, he began to display human like characteristics. What prevents these “ seeds” from developing is his monstrous like traits that will always be a part of him, such as murder.
25. Grendel’s physical appearances, moral and spiritual understandings classify him as a monster. With his outer features and killing mentality, it is clear that he is a monster. His spiritual and moral understandings add on to his monster title. He believes he is the right type of creature who owns this world. “I understood that the world was nothing…I understood that, finally, and absolutely, I alone exist.” pg. 25
26. Grendel finds evil in the human race. They are the “ bad guys”, and because of this, he is in pursuit of killing them. He believes he is the ruler of the world, as his kind is dominant.
27. In Grendel’s eyes, he sees very little goodness. He fails to see beyond what is visual. Because of this, he fails to be accepted by humans into society.
28. Grendel’s behavior is fully determined by both instinct and nature. As a monster he will always be in attack mode due to nature. And when he attacks, it will be his instinct. They both work together to form one. Very little is determined by his own will.
29. Caves and monsters are closely associate with each other because monsters feel the need to be isolated form others, due to their physical appearance and feeling like an outcast. And the cave being dark adds on the loneliness they feel. The cave in the novel might symbolize a resting place for the isolated, in this case being Grendel.
30. One interesting thing about Hart is that it is the home of Hrothgar, which he takes advantage of . In addition, Hart seems to represent the unbreakable bond of unity in humans.
31. Hart means a lot to the humans mainly because they see it as an area where unity will always be present. They value Hart, as it is filled with hope and wont’ ever abandon it. It is a big part of the success of the human race.
32. Grendel’s perspective on the physical world through which he walks is that his kind is the dominant force. He thinks it is a major part of success. Being physically strong builds up strength not only in the body, but in the mind , as you feel untouchable, like he did.
33. Grendel’s language is colored and shaped by the natural world around him. He has a sort of dark sight, where he perceives things differently as others would, such as humans.
34. Through Grendel’s eyes, the human physical world is portrayed effectively. He gives us a precise description to where he is dominant. He finds most striking about the way humans live that we kill and reproduce quickly. Also our ability to unite, think, and communicate surprised him as well.
35. Grendel sort of reminds me of Beowulf, just in the evil way. He kind of possesses his physical and mental traits. I see Grendel as simply being exactly Beowulf, but just only evil.
36. I find this to be quite true. With knowing the evil side of nature, we can learn from it, make improvements, and peruse a meaningful life. We can simply avoid the evil aspects and traits of life, to create a society of pure goodness.
37. With his use of anachronism, the reader can gain a greater and more detailed perspective of the time and events occurring. We can’t really see time passing by. We get a different type of vision.
38. The meaning of both doesn’t’ really differ. Instead, they form a greater meaning to it. By now we can conclude that it takes dignity, pride, and determination to be a hero. This was clearley seen through both Grendel and Beowulf’s perspective. It could be said that Unferth is the most honorable, mainly because of his wish to die as a hero. He has great courage and follows his beliefs.
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