Essay on Grendel - 1169 Words

In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic epic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and loved to recite literature. Gardner spent his early days attending school, playing French horn, and working on his dads farms. In April 1945, Gardners brother was killed in an accident with a cultipacker on their family farm. Gardner was driving the†¦show more content†¦(Howell 2).In addition to teaching and writing, he also edited scholarly books for the Southern Illinois University Press; he was a creative and talented teacher, author, and editor. Although the promotion of Gardners first novel The Resurrection (1966) wasnt a hit at all, and The Wreckage of Agathon (1970) apprehended a mixture of reviews. It was the appearance of Grendel in 1970, however, that brought him true fame and recognition. Richard Locke of the New York Times called Gardner a major contemporary writer and other viewers were just as enthusiastic (Howell 2). John Michael Howell comments that though Grendel may have been written in a short period of time, its natural resonance suggests that the monster-hero (Grendel) has been lurking in Gardners imagination for a great deal of time (Howell 61). Which in all reality not only makes the story successful but also intriguing. Beowulf is an epic poem that was originally told between the eighth and eleventh centuries. It is the first surviving epic to be written in the English language. The single existing copy dates from around the tenth century, but some scholars believe its dates from the early eleventh century. It was found in a large volume that contained stories about mythical creatures and people. It is said that two different scribes copied the poem, most likely using an existing copy (Heaney 6). During the period of 1066 and the reformation the volumeShow MoreRelatedGrendel1242 Words   |  5 PagesGrendel as a Ridiculous Character Probably one of the greatest questions of the 19th century comes directly from John Gardner’s novel Grendel. Given a world with no inherent meaning, how should one live his or her life? Grendel lives in a world that he is not supposed to be in, acting out on emotion. Grendel represents the animalistic traits of humans. His actions are primitive and based around society’s acceptance throughout the novel. Grendel portrays a ridiculous character that is convincedRead MoreGrendel And Beowulf1838 Words   |  8 Pageswill establish my stance on who I believe the real monsters are in Beowulf and reference the characters I wish to defend (Grendel, his mother and the dragon). GRENDEL – Paragraphs 1-3: This where I will contrast Grendel to Hrothgar and Beowulf. Though Grendel does do monstrous things, his streak of violence is mirrored in Hrothgar’s inaction and Beowulf’s action. By letting Grendel kill every night for 12 years, Hrothgar neglects his kingly duties. By hiring Beowulf as a contract killer, he simplyRead MoreGrendel and Obj1412 Words   |  6 Pagesanswers the question. Comprehension The questions below refer to the selections â€Å"from Beowulf, Part One,† â€Å"from Grendel,† â€Å"Life in 999: A Grim Struggle,† and â€Å"from Beowulf, Part Two.† ____ 1. Beowulf slays Grendel in order to  Ã¢â‚¬â€ |a. |save Hrothgar and the Danes from the monster | |b. |prevent Grendel from invading the land of the Geats | |c. |keepRead MoreGrendel : Evil Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, Grendel by John Gardener, Grendel is a human-like creature capable of rational thought as well as feeling emotions. Early on in the story Gardener depicts Grendel as being very observant, critical and somewhat spiteful of the world around him. He describes himself as a murderous monster who smells of death and crouches in the shadows. Grendel watches the humans from the shadows of the trees and at first it seems as though they are the real monsters, slaughtering and pillaging all forRead MoreThe Battle Between Grendel And Beowulf1133 Words   |  5 PagesIn Beowulf, the fight between Grendel and Beowulf was certainly a nail-biter. In this fight, however, Beowulf shows his courage by doing his absolute best at defending the kingdom by taking on this gruesome monster. Grendel was wreaking havoc on the kingdom to no end. He was killing many and terrorizing the citizens greatly. When Beowulf heard of this, as a courageous thane, he stepped in to try to stop this and protect the people. â€Å"Hygelac’s kinsman kept [Grendel] helplessly locked in a handgripRead MoreThe Between Grendel And Society1273 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The state is an organization of violence, a monopoly in what it is pleased to call legitimate violence (Gardner, 119). Grendel is monster that first appears in the epic poem Beowulf. Gardner later takes the character on for his own adaption. In Grendel the monster Grendel struggles with humans and his own inner demons throughout the whole book. Throughout history, people have been forced to use violence as a solution; But even in those instances, there was a negative force that required the useRead More Beowulf v. Grendel Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pages Janell Touchette Period D 3/6/05 Beowulf/Grendel Test 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;An anti-hero is the opposite of a hero. It is the character that goes against all the traditional values of society. Grendel has strong traits of the average anti-hero. He lives in a cave with his mother in the middle of no where. Everybody in the land refuses to accept him, even as the lowest of their kind, and they are constantly trying to kill him. He is deprived the rules and consequences of society by notRead MoreGrendel vs. Beowulf Essay examples969 Words   |  4 PagesGrendel One of the most compelling and highly developed characters in the novel Grendel, written by John Gardner, and the poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous poet, is the monster, Grendel. Even though these pieces show two different sides to Grendel they are similar in many ways. Grendel evokes sympathy toward the hideous monster by making him seem like the victim, while Beowulf portrays him as being the most loathsome of enemies. The reasons behind Grendel#8217;s being, his killing,Read More Grendel Vs. Beowulf Essay928 Words   |  4 Pages Grendel nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the most compelling and highly developed characters in the novel Grendel, written by John Gardner, and the poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous poet, is the monster, Grendel. Even though these pieces show two different sides to Grendel they are similar in many ways. Grendel evokes sympathy toward the hideous monster by making him seem like the victim, while Beowulf portrays him as being the most loathsome of enemies. The reasons behind Grendelamp;#8217;sRead MoreIs Grendel Truley Evil? Essay1135 Words   |  5 PagesIs Grendel Evil or Victim to Circumstance? : How humanity has a tendency to put labels on people they don’t really understand. In the epic of Beowulf, one of the warrior’s biggest adversaries is a creature from the swamp named Grendel. Although the character of Grendel is present for only a short portion in the story of Beowulf, Grendel signifies one of the important messages in the text about humanity. In Beowulf, Grendel is called a ‘monster’. However, if observed closely, analyzing the