Grendel and Beowulf
...nts that Grendel is a large animalistic beast stands out the most. When I read this it gave me the idea that Grendel is only driven by his animal instincts and does not go through the same thought processes as humans do. However in the novel Grendel is portrayed as a confused creature passing through life looking for answers. Grendel seems to be at ease with the animals of the forest and wanting to learn more about them and from them. He does not act like the blood hungry beast he is seen as in Beowulf. In the novel Grendel is a confused creature. Since he walks alone he has time to contemplate his life. He has many unanswered questions he directs at his mother. Grendel relies on his mother very much in the novel whereas in the epic it hardly touches the relationship Grendel and his mother have. Although he relies on her he also it disturbed and upset by her as well. The only part in the epic Grendel appears in is the attack on the meadhall where Beowulf puts an end to Grendel. The only idea we have of Grendel is that he is evil and cruel but this is not entirely true. The novel displays the idea well. He knows that the people fear him because he is different and he uses that to his advantage. He also sees that humans waste all their time thinking about theories to why life is. This shows that Grendel does acquire human like qualities to analyze situations. Finally Grendel meets Beowulf in the meadhall. He has never met a human as stro...