Journal #2

Grendel is portrayed as a character born form evil, but is he really evil, or just misunderstood? The story of “Beowulf” starts out with King Hrothgar of Denmark. He builds a mead-hall called Herot where his warriors can have a drink, dance around and listen to the heroic tales of the Scops. Because of all this noise, Grendel attacks and attacks often. Beowulf, a Geat, hears of this monster and seeks out the challenge of destroying it. Hrothgar throws a feast in his honor so they can lure Grendel out. Beowulf stays afterward and when Grendel comes, fights the monster unarmed, so he can prove he is stronger. He defeats the monster by tearing off its arm (Grendel goes back to the swamplands where he dwells to die). Grendel’s mother wants revenge so Beowulf goes to her lair and kills her with a sword forged for a giant. He finds Grendel’s corpse and cuts of his head to bring back to Hrothgar. Beowulf returns home and, in time, the king and his heir die, making Beowulf the king for fifty years. A dragon is disturbed and attacks the Geats. Beowulf senses it is his time to die and sacrifices himself; he kills the dragon, but in the process it kills him. Beowulf’s vassals fulfill his wishes and burn his body in a barrow overlooking the sea. At first, Grendel’s character is kind of vague – you don’t really know his motive. His actions are animalistic, yet influenced by human emotions and impulses. He is jealous, lonely and innately evil. The character of Grendel is portrayed as evil but somewhat human. This is proven through the study of Grendel’s character and actions through the Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf”.

Grendel is the embodiment of evil. In the beginning of “Beowulf,” the author explains how Hrothgar’s men built their mead-hall Herot, and how they have such a great time in it. A few lines later, the author introduces Grendel. It says in lines 17 trough 21, “Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild/ Marshes, and made his home in a hell/ Not a hell on earth. He was spawned in that slime,/ conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain…” This quote proves Grendel was born from Cain, the father of all evil beings. This is important because it explains to the reader that Grendel is the offspring of evil itself and channels that through man. From talking about Hrothgar and Herot, and going to introducing Grendel as a monster born from the root of all evil, the reader can infer that Grendel is going to attack and kill man in his merriment, making Grendel seem truly evil.

On the inside though, Grendel is just a lonely, jealous outcast. It is said throughout the story that Grendel lives only with his mother at the bottom of a marsh. In the story, this quote takes place when the narrator is describing what Grendel does to the Danes’ mead-hall. “So Grendel waged his lonely war,/ inflicting constant cruelties on the people,/ atrocious hurt. He took over Herot,/ haunted the glittering hall after dark,/ but the throne itself, the treasure-seat,/ he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord's outcast.” It is implied that he is an outcast of that society – just as Cain is considered an outcast. Cain is considered an outcast because he killed his brother because he was jealous. It could be that Grendel is jealous of man and that is why he kills so freely. Men have celebrations, drink mead, and dance and get to be loud. However Grendel stays in his den at the bottom of a marsh, with only his mother for company (which she is of little). Grendel is an outcast of society who is lonely and exiled, and jealous of man.

Grendel’s actions are animalistic because he is, in nature, a monster, yet they are influenced by human emotions and impulses. When Grendel comes to the mead-hall and finds Beowulf, he gets his arm torn off. “His mind was flooded with fear—but nothing/ Could take his talons and himself from that tight/ Hard grip. Grendel’s one thought was to run/ From Beowulf, flee back to his marsh and hide there…Screams of the Almighty’s enemy sang/ In the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain/ And defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel’s/ Taut throat, hell’s captive caught in the arms/ Of him who of all the men on earth was the strongest.” This quote proves that he is an animal; he is a monster—different from man. He howls like an animal when hurt, but his first thought when grabbed is to run and hide. He is afraid and he knows what is coming next—he knows this is a different enemy. Grendel is able to think and process that, like man. Even though Grendel is a monster with an animalistic nature, his thinking is still influenced by human impulses.

After reading “Beowulf,” the reader can infer that Grendel character is portrayed as evil and animalistic but with a little humanity. First of all, Grendel is considered evil because he is born from the offspring of evil itself. Also, Grendel’s character can be described as lonely and jealous: an outcast. Though his actions are driven by animalistic instincts, they are influenced by human emotions and impulses.