Grendel Character Analysis
Orignial content by Leon Manjyoume
Grendel, the first of the three monsters that Beowulf had to face, can be described as a monster by the Danes, and as sad as a child’s lost balloon to others. His attributes are a lot like that of an animal, as he is ruthless, aggressive and grotesque, but overlooking his outside physical form, where lays a delicate and lonely being. Not a lot of backstory was given in Beowulf, however, when investigating into the deep dark cave of the internet, I found many important factors that gave me a better image of Grendel.
Grendel, part of “Cain’s (“Quain” – Hebrew for creature) clan” was outlawed and exiled to swamplands, away from civilization. Grendel longed to be reinstated into human society, however due to his burning jealousy, he became aggressive against the Danes. Most of Grendel’s aggressive behavior came from the resentment that the Danes gave towards him, and due to this, he wanted to cause harm onto them for what they did to him. Grendel inside was really a person who simply wanted to be involved with others, and live life like normal humans.
Grendel’s appearance is a different story, as he is said to be as grotesque as Frankenstein, and as beastly as Godzilla. Although similar to any man, with 2 arms/claws and legs, was extremely large, along with having super strength. Due to a magical spell, he is invulnerable to man’s weapons. He can be characterised as an evil villain by now, since his grotesque appearance conquered his overall personality.
Grendel, although not having the most heroic traits, certainly had the potential to be a hero, for although being removed from a culture, rose up and gained the power to take on thousands of men, as human society was something precious to him. Standing up for something you believe in strongly is one of the most heroic traits in my opinion, as your whole effort to overcome the problem does not always affect just you, and in this case, would be the difference in equality between men and creatures.
Refined content by Marvin Dotiyal
Grendel, the first of the three monsters that Beowulf had to face, can be characterised as multifaceted yet a paradoxical figure. As commonly viewed as a formidable beast by the Danes, his inner self can be described as sad as a child’s lost balloon. His attributes are a lot like an animal as he is ruthless, aggressive and grotesque. However, despite his outside physical form, Grendel is an intellectual philosopher who possesses a delicate and lonely being deep inside. Although not a lot of backstory was given in Beowulf, when investigating into the deep caverns of the Internet, I found many essential factors that helped me reform a better portrayal of Grendel.
Grendel, part of “Cain’s (“Quain” – Hebrew for creature) clan” was outlawed and exiled to the sombre swamplands, away from civilization which caused him to be desolate. Grendel longed to be reinstated into human society. Most of Grendel’s aggressive behaviour derive from the resentment that the Danes gave towards him, and thus, he wanted to cause harm to them for vengeance. Consequently, his distressful feelings of injustice and jealousy resulted him to turn against the Danes, which was the formula that created him into an infamous monster. He lived alone in the wild savagely, wherein his character slowly transformed into a villain. Grendel’s backstory can reveal a lot about his real personality. As a matter of fact, Grendel’s inner desire was simple; he wanted to be involved with others, and live life like normal human beings.
Grendel’s appearance is a different story, as he is said to be as grotesque as Frankenstein, and as beastly as Godzilla. Although similar to any honourable warrior, with extremely large arms and legs having super strength, his facade has slowly distorted into a savage creature. As juxtaposed to his inner personality discussed earlier, it’s safe to say that they are polar opposites of each other. Once part of a community, then completely expelled and separated. This was the beginning of his inner transformation, which also reflected his outer appearance. Later, due to a magical spell, he became invulnerable to man’s weapons. By then, he was easily depicted as an evil villain, not a hero. Grendel had no choice, so he had to stand up for his rights.
Grendel, although not having the most heroic traits, certainly had the potential to become a hero. Regarding the fact that he struggled, rose up and gained the power to take on thousands of men, can definitely attribute to the traits of a hero. As human society was something very precious to him, he fought for his own justice and stood up for what he was worth. Standing up for your beliefs contributes to your individuality and righteousness, in this case, it would be the difference in equality between men and creatures. Being able to stand up for your beliefs is one of the most prominent traits in my opinion, since your whole effort to overcome a problem does not only fulfill your liberty, but also leaves a touch of your charisma in the world outside.
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