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Introduction
Grendel is described as a man-eating monster that descended from the biblical Cain. He is
portrayed as a nightwalker who bears the anger of God and lacking in joy due to the curse he
received from murdering his brother Abel. While his psychology is not explored in detail
throughout the novel, there is a sense that he attacks ordinary people due to his enforced isolation
which has made him develop hatred towards those he perceives as enjoying companionship and a
sense of belonging. Therefore, in analyzing the poem ‘Grendel’ comes across as a character that
of great intelligence, given how he is able to survive for so long and only harms those who do
wrong to him and his family. This paper argues that although monstrous, Grendel is not brutish,
but is a character who is capable of learning, communicating, thinking, and feeling emotions.
Throughout the book, Grendel is an unhappy soul because he sees himself as useless and unable
to accept his role as a destroyer. He does not have any friends and no one accepts him except his
mother and this creates a huge problem in his life, and this is what contributes to how he lives
with man. Therefore in analyzing the book, one of the predominant themes is how Grendel is in
constant need of a community. He desperately tries to fit in a community, but always seems as an
outsider, because of the way he was portrayed before within the human community. I feel like
Grendel has a strong attraction to the human community because he does not want to be alone
because he at times feels “alone and ugly” (Gardner 17). However, because the human
community is unable to accept him, he has to always live admiring human beings enjoy
companionship and all the benefits of a community from a distance because no matter how hard
he tries he will never fit in. This drives him to become jealous of others.
Throughout the novel, Grendel sees many aspects of human beings including their flaws and
strengths. From a societal perspective, I think that the author uses the character of Grendel to
address some of the drawbacks of the human community. For instance, although Beowulf’s
strength enabled him to dominate the battle with Grendel, it also acted as one of his greatest
flaws and in fact is not all that good. He strong, brave, an adventurer and a hero throughout the
novel but in the end, he reveals his true nature and the reader soon realizes just how much of a
liar he is.
As a leader and the main protector of his people, I think Beowulf makes some of the biggest
mistakes when he lies on several occasions thereby putting his people in great danger. For
example, although is the strongest in their community and is therefore sent to kill the sea witch,
he, in turn, decides to lay with her after realizing that he is no much for her. However, his biggest
misstep comes when he decides to lie about having killed her knowing very well that he did not,
thereby putting the community in danger. He also claims to have killed seven sea monsters but
we can hear Wiglaf in the background saying “last time it was three” (Zemeckis et al. Beowulf).
This statement alone shows how much Beowulf has issues with lying. All these show that
constantly frets over his meaningless life and becomes quite discontent and irritated. As the
movie progresses, we come to realize that he is, in fact, the son of king Hrothgar, a child who
was conceived after the king slept with the sea witch. Due to his loneliness and the feeling of
being neglected, Grendel is often set off when he hears human beings reveling, singing and
having fun in the mead hall. All this shows that he is indeed just a normal being, only that he was
brought up on the sidelines, a factor that has contributed to his hatred and monstrosity against
Although he just wants to live like the others, every time Grendel goes to the mead hall to be part
of the fun he is always greeted with spears and screams of terror, and this is why he often
unleashed his monstrosity on humans. The feeling of having to constantly endure loneliness,
abandonment, and rejection from the only people you know can, therefore, be concluded as the
main reason why Grendel often so furious and angry at people. He attacks because of being
terrified.
He did not ask to be born in such a cruel life. It was his father King Hrothgar who made a pact
with the devil and lay with the sea witch. It was a mistake that the King forgot to clean up and it
is clear that Grendel’s life would upset anyone who finds themselves in such a situation. In the
end, anyone would simply feel cruel and question why they would have to be in such a position.
Therefore, although born a monster, Grendel is naturally a human being and has some humanity
and feelings too because his parents except the mother, all look and act like humans.
This can be seen at the beginning of the story when he attacks the mead hall and when Hrothgar
yells at him saying that “fight me” (Zemeckis et al. Beowulf); Grendel simply turns around and
walks away. After returning to his hiding, Grendel is rebuked by his mother, an act that makes to
him to curl into a ball because he sees his actions as appalling. Moreover, when fighting with
Beowulf and his arm is ripped off, he quickly returns to his cave and is actually crying in pain.
This shows that like with all monsters portrayed in literature, not all of them are scary as they
seem and that some like Grendel do share human feelings such as fear and pain.
This is also witnessed in his relations with his mother. It is evident from the story that Grendel is
indeed a “mama’s boy.” This can be seen in the way he cries out calling his mother’s name while
lying in the water. It shows how close a mother and his little boy can be no matter how ugly his
character might be. Therefore, in many ways, Grendel is more of a boy than the monster he is
shown to be. He is a mixture of a man and a beast but after learning about his background, it can
be concluded that his monstrous nature is due to his upbringing and the kind of life he has had to
endure as a child up to where he is now. He is simply misunderstood in his efforts to try and live
like his fellow human beings. He has only one person close to him and that is his mother. She
cares for him just like any mother would do, but Grendel still fails to understand why he cannot
be part of the community like the rest. Christian (72) notes that this is what drives him to develop
hatred against human beings, the inability to enjoy companionship and a sense of belonging.
Conclusion
Beowulf’s strength in the battle against Grendel allowed him to dominate but he is also a liar
who cannot be trusted. Grendel on the other hand, although a monster, is merely misunderstood
by the community and is not bad as he is portrayed in the film. A closer look reveals that just like
other people, Grendel shares feelings of pain and fear, and is able to forgive and take care of
those close to him just like another human being. However, due to the kind of life, he forced to
live, he often finds himself unleashing his anger against humans when they fail to accept him as
one of them despite all his efforts. As such, Grendel, although monstrous, is not that bad but is
Christian, Ed, and John Gardner. "An Interview with John Gardner." Prairie Schooner 54.4
(1980): 70-93.
Gardner, John C. Grendel. Hachette UK, 2015.
Zemeckis, Robert, et al. Beowulf.