Beowulf And Grendel Essay, Research Paper

John Gardner & # 8217 ; s Grendel gives the character Grendel a personality beyond what is described in the heroic poem Beowulf. The descriptions in this reading outline the emotional features of this animal. The work Grendel fulfills its end of doing Grendel look more homo ; nevertheless, it falls short of one achievement. Regardless of the positive description in the text, Grendel & # 8217 ; s actions against society, which he committed in the work Beowulf, are surely non justified.

Grendel is resolutely evil in the work Beowulf. He is entirely described as a bloody-minded liquidator. & # 8220 ; He slipped through the door and at that place in the silence snatched up 30 work forces, smashed them unwittingly in their beds and ran out with their organic structures, the blood dripping behind him, back to his den, delighted with his dark & # 8217 ; s slaughter & # 8221 ; ( Beowulf 14 ) . This is one of legion illustrations of his barbarian violent deaths, which he delights in. He lives merely to kill and destruct the lives of those who still live. He brings complete panic to those who meet him, and fright to all others. & # 8220 ; Then he stopped, seeing the hall crowded with kiping warriors, stuffed with rows of soldiers resting together. And his bosom laughed, he relinquished the sight, intended to rupture the life from those organic structures & # 8221 ; ( Beowulf 23 ) . Grendel does nil but cause decease and devastation. He is pure immorality.

Gardner & # 8217 ; s Grendel clearly does non warrant these fierce violent deaths. In fact, this fresh references that Grendel finds his brutal war against humanity pointless and foolish. & # 8221 ; the season is upon us. And so begins the twelft

h twelvemonth of my crackbrained war. The hurting of it! The Stupidity! ” ( Gardner 5 ) . Grendel has no desire to kill the people. He does non look to hold a ground for killing them either. Sometimes, people will move on an urge and do things they do non truly desire to make. However, they ever have some kind of ground to support themselves. “Pointless, pathetic monster crouched in the shadows, stinking of dead work forces, murdered kids, martyred cattles. ( I am neither proud nor ashamed, understand. One more dull victim, leering at seasons that ne’er were meant to be observed ) ” ( Gardner 6 ) . Grendel does non even experience a sense of achievement for his amoral actions. These mindless calamities were caused for no ground. An act can non be justified if one has no intent.

Grendel is an intelligent being. In the undermentioned transitions, he contrasts himself to other animals: & # 8220 ; But deer, like coneies and bears and even work forces, can do, refering my race, no delicate differentiations & # 8221 ; ( Gardner 8 ) . He feels no connexion to the other animate beings because he is excessively advanced for them. However, he continues to demo his similarities to work forces throughout the narrative. He acknowledges this by his decision to his first remark. & # 8220 ; Except work forces, of class & # 8221 ; ( Gardner 8 ) . If Grendel feels that he is similar to worlds, he should non desire to ache them.

Gardner does non warrant Grendel & # 8217 ; s homicidal nature in these choices from his fresh Grendel. Possibly if the monster had purpose when he killed, his actions would hold been more justifiable. Under these fortunes, Grendel had no intent for his actions, and can non be deemed guiltless for his offenses.