Compare And Contrast Grendel And Beowulf

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In both the novel Grendel by John Gardner as well as the epic poem Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney, the two authors depict Grendel in significantly different portrayals. Gardner’s Grendel is very complex and complicated while Grendel in Beowulf is much simpler in the sense that he is a vicious animalistic monster. The two depictions are essentially opposites in the sense that in Beowulf Grendel is more vicious but in Grendel Grendel is more complex and he changes throughout the novel. It is not clearly stated in either book what Grendel’s specifics are such as what he looks like or what kind of creature he is. The only thing that is known about Grendel’s physicality is that he is very hairy like a monster would be and he has some human-like …show more content…

He is portrayed as confused and just strolling through life looking for answers and he does not act like the blood hungry beast in fact he is a kind monster. “Ah, the unfairness of everything, I say, and shake my head. It is a matter of fact that I have never killed a deer in all my life, and never will” (Gardner 8). This depicts Grendel as a nonviolent monster that previously would have killed the deer but in Grendel he does not and has no intention to do so. Grendel is a very confused creature in Gardner’s novel, he would ask his mother, “Why are we here?” (Gardner 11) and he would get advice from the Dragon such as, “You are mankind, or man’s condition: inseparable as the mountain-climber and the mountain” (Gardner 73). Grendel is very much aware that most people fear him and he uses that to his advantage. The Dragon tells Grendel, “They would map out roads to Hell with their crackpot theories!...You improve them my boy! Can’t you see that yourself? You stimulate them! You make them think and scheme” (Grendel 72). The about quote in which the Dragon gives advice to Grendel shows that Grendel is far more superior than humankind is. When Grendel and Beowulf meet in the meadhall, Grendel realizes that he has never seen a creature quite as strong and brave as Beowulf in fact he is quite amazed. After Grendel gets attacked he runs into some animals that do not fear him and he says, “Is

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