Grendel And Beowulf Comparison

In the poem “Beowulf”, Beowulf saves the lives of the people of Herot from the terrifying monster, Grendel. While Beowulf's’ background comes from royalty and Grendel's comes from living in a marshy swamp, Beowulf and Grendel have many other differences in how they grew up. They both dreamed of living life with the acceptance of others. Although both Beowulf and Grendel want to be accepted, they have their own completely different reasons for wanting to be accepted. In the novel Grendel, he states “ I staggered out into the open and up toward the hall with my burden, groaning out, “Mercy! Peace!” Grendel is lonely and wants to have someone to talk to. “ Why can’t I have someone to talk to? The Shaper has someone to talk to, Hrothgar has people

Grendel is a monster with a few human-like qualities, while Beowulf is just a regular human with prodigious strength. Grendel, a clawed monster of great strength, can move quickly and quietly in the night, as he did when he invaded Herot to carry off thirty warriors. The monster's thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: “He slipped through the door and there in the silence, Snatched up thirty men, smashed them, unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies”. He has hard claws, powerful jaws, and great teeth. Furthermore, Grendel's skin was also impenetrable in battle: "The sharpest and hardest iron could not scratch at his skin." The people of Herot perceive Grendel as a ruthless, killing-machine that attacks the town for 12 ongoing years. That is until Beowulf

He is a great worrier characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage. Beowulf embodies the values imposed by the Germanic heroic code; which includes, loyalty, courtesy, and pride. His defeat of Grendel has validated his reputation for bravery.

Another difference between the two are the environments they were raised in. Grendel lives in a marshy swamp with just his mother. He has nobody to talk to and nothing to do. Grendel grows up playing in the shadows alone in a pitch-black cave until one day he finds the entrance of the cave while playing and is able to leave. Beowulf on the other hand comes from a royal family so he grows up in a castle. Beowulf comes from a full family that consists of a mother, father, and himself. As Beowulf grows older his exemplary career as a warrior prepares him to become King of the Geats.

One major difference between Beowulf and Grendel is the reason they have for fighting. Grendel kills because it gives him a glimpse of happiness in the sadness he calls life, Beowulf kills because he wants to be a hero and earn his family name. Beowulf thrives for all the fame and glory that winning a battle brings to him. While Grendel enjoys going on his ravaging sprees throughout Herot. Grendel attacks for mere pleasure for it is the only thing that brings him pure joy in the