The Epic Of Beowulf And Grendel - 1363 Words

When one first encounters the epic poem Beowulf, they are usually taken aback by the differences between the text of the Anglo Saxons at that time and our present culture. This tale of a heroic warrior, Beowulf, defeating his opponent, Grendel, is certainly different from current works of fiction. Differences in diction, context, and characters allow readers to see how different other cultures were, and whether or not these differences carry over into other cultures. It is no secret that things have changed since that time, somewhere around 580-1000 A.D. Perhaps these changes contribute to the differences encountered in various types of media about the same story. For example, Beowulf the epic poem focuses on Beowulf’s strength, whereas Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson, 2005) the film focuses on the tragedies Grendel faces. By creating a more complex Grendel in the film, it becomes obvious that our culture demands justice and reason behind every action. The film Beowulf and Gre ndel presents a far more complex Grendel, which complies with our culture’s necessity to give antagonists motives for their actions, and reason for the audience to sympathize with them. Reader s’ first encounter with Grendel in the epic is towards the beginning,â€Å" a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall,† (Heaney,Seamus page 9). This line from the text shows that Grendel antagonizes the Danes out ofShow MoreRelatedThe Epic Of Beowulf And Grendel1363 Words   |  6 PagesWhen one first encounters the epic poem Beowulf, they are usually taken aback by the differences between the text of the Anglo Saxons at that time and our present culture. This tale of a heroic warrior, Beowulf, defeating his opponent, Grendel, is certainly different from current works of fiction. Differences in diction, context, and characters allow readers to see how different other cultures were, and whether or not these differences carry over into other cultures. It is no secret that things haveRead MoreComparing Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf976 Words   |  4 Pagesanyth ing, you always have a choice† (King). Grendel, in both the self-titled novel and the epic, Beowulf, had a choice. He chose to make the wrong decisions and act solely based upon his feelings. Even though others feel Grendel is a monster because of fate, and he is destined to become a monster either way, Grendel is really a monster due to free will and Grendel s loneliness, plus lack of communication causes him to be violent as well as Grendel knowing what he is doing and is aware of the choicesRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf 1294 Words   |  6 Pagescharacter who does bad things. These definitions may not be so indubitable as John Gardner takes a hero and villain to a whole new level in his novel, Grendel. Throughout the years of novels and short stories, heroes and villains have been constructed as strictly good versus evil, but what if there is good in evil and evil in good? Grendel and the epic, Beowulf, revolve around this idea of heroes and villa ins and good versus evil. Gardner’s twist on the stereotypical hero leads to the true definition ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Grendel s The Elegy / Epic Of Beowulf 1840 Words   |  8 Pagesthe elegy/epic of Beowulf hints at biblical references consistently. The protagonist that starts of the epic, Grendel, refers to as a descendant of Cain. His â€Å"monstrous† actions are often a direct reflection of the story of Cain and his brother found in Genesis chapter four. Although Grendel is known as a heinous monster, he is an embodiment of the faults of humans and a victim that has fallen prey to the power of jealousy, and the need to be known within a community. In other words, Grendel is a symbolRead More grendelbeo Epic of Beowulf Essay - The Evil of Grendel942 Words   |  4 PagesThe Evil of Grendel in Beowulf The story of Beowulf, written during Anglo-Saxon times, is a classic epic tale between good versus evil.   It is a story that gives us insight into the values of the Anglo-Saxon people.   The Anglo-Saxons glorified heroism and the conquering of evil.   In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, the character of Grendel symbolically represents evil through his setting and heritage, his hateful attitude toward men, and his vicious acts of murder. Grendels heritageRead MoreThe Epic Of Beowulf, Grendel s Mother, And The Fire Dragon782 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the epic of Beowulf there are three main battles; the battle with Grendel, Grendel s Mother, and the Fire Dragon. While there are notable differences be- tween the battles, common motivations and themes exist. The epic s protagonist King of Geats Beowulf, is a great warrior who fights with courage and honor to fulfill his role as a hero. The sense of duty associated with being a hero inspires him to fight, but ultimately leads him to his demise. Beowulfs battle with Grendel is the firstRead MoreDifferent Characteristics Of Grendel And The Epic Of Beowulf1023 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluenced with each â€Å"monster† a he faces in the tale. In Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is a hero who faces two different kinds of monsters, Grendel and the Dragon, where his character development is completely different from one to the other. Each monster he faces repres ents different meanings to him. Beowulf displays a different kind of hero with each monster he seeks out, such as Grendel and the Dragon. When Beowulf is called to fight Grendel he portrays himself as confidant and a man with no fearRead MoreCulture And Values : The Epic Of Beowulf And Beowulf1260 Words   |  6 PagesAnalyzation of the Beowulf Epic and the Beowulf and Grendel Film The epic tale of Beowulf was written sometime after his death. In other words, a long time ago during the Anglo-Saxon period. Today, directors in Hollywood did not keep from creating their own rendition of this epic poem As a result, plenty of modern interpretations of Beowulf, such as Sturla Gunnarsson’s Beowulf and Grendel, have been released. Naturally, the cultural values that might be reflected in modern Beowulf renditions willRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Grendel And Beowulf1702 Words   |  7 Pagestranslated, Beowulf has represented one of the finest examples of heroic poetry. As a tale reflecting the noble deeds of a hero, it uniquely expresses the cultural values of the Anglo-Saxons from whom it originated since heroes often do reflect the best of what their culture deems worthwhile. However, modern adaptations of this work express a different set of cultural values; values unique to modern society. When comparing the translated poem, Beowulf, to the 2005 moti on picture, Beowulf and GrendelRead MoreBeowulf the Hero1005 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf The Hero â€Å"†¦ A fiend out of hell†(Heaney 100). These words describe the monster Grendel, who is truly an evil entity. Only an epic hero with strength, courage and confidence is able to defeat this mighty foe. This hero’s name is Beowulf. He displays all of these throughout the epic. Beowulf’s first epic hero trait is confidence. Beowulf displays confidence when he talked to Unferth in the great hall Heorot. Beowulf said, â€Å"†¦but he will find me different. I will show him how Geats shape The Epic Of Beowulf And Grendel - 1363 Words When one first encounters the epic poem Beowulf, they are usually taken aback by the differences between the text of the Anglo Saxons at that time and our present culture. This tale of a heroic warrior, Beowulf, defeating his opponent, Grendel, is certainly different from current works of fiction. Differences in diction, context, and characters allow readers to see how different other cultures were, and whether or not these differences carry over into other cultures. It is no secret that things have changed since that time, somewhere around 580-1000 A.D. Perhaps these changes contribute to the differences encountered in various types of media about the same story. For example, Beowulf the epic poem focuses on Beowulf’s strength, whereas†¦show more content†¦A lot of Grendel’s behavior is a result of his descent. â€Å"Cain got no good from committing that murder because the Almighty made him anathema and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elv es and evil phantoms† (Heaney, Seamus page 9). References to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel throughout the epic allow readers to infer that Grendel comes from a cursed bloodline. This was common during this time period, as kinship was weighed heavily in determining a person’s character. In this time, it was not common to see an antagonist as complex as the hero of the story, which is why Grendel is very plainly evil. As the story progresses, there is no change in his character, and even in his defeat, it is hard for readers to sympathize with him because of this. He is constantly described as a monstrous creature, one of pure evil, which adheres to the thinking of simplistic duality present in the culture of the Anglo Saxons. Everything was simply good or evil by nature, and Grendel obviously fell under the latter. While that was considered normal for that time period, current audiences would not accept it so willingly. Our culture is one of reasoning and logic, qu estioning everything without simply accepting it. In the time of the epic, they simply embraced what was and demanded no explanation. Perhaps this contributes largely to the difference in text and film, and why characters pursue different quests. In Beowulf and Grendel,