Comparing Frankenstein And Grendel's Mother In Beowulf

The novel Grendel, by John Gardner, gives the reader an inside look on the “monster… demon… [and] fiend” (Beowulf, 99) who, in Beowulf (translated by Burton Raffel), seems only capable of destruction, sneaking around in the night and killing soldiers off by the dozen. Grendel is a non-human entity who possesses human characteristics; no one truly knows who or what he is. He is monstrously huge, absurdly strong, and insatiable (he has been murdering for approximately twelve years). He is a “[monster] born of Cain, [a] murderous [creature]” (Beowulf, 105-106). He lives with his mother in a swampy marsh that is secluded by a “pool of firesnakes” who guard “the sunken door” to the strange world of humans (Grendel, 16). Beowulf does not provide any information of where he came from or any history about him, except that he is a pre-cursed, wicked being with no conscience. This seems like a biased assumption because the story

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 meaning behind the story, it is easy to see that Grendel is not a typical monster, in fact, it doesn’t seem like he is a monster at all. There is much evidence within the short period of the text where Grendel is present, which indicates he is

The writer of “Beowulf” describes Grendel in such a way that it seems Grendel had no choice but to be a murderer, therefore, it was a part of his nature. A quote from the poem states, “And that night Grendel came again, so set on murder that no crime could ever be enough, no savage assault quenched his lust for evil” (Lines 52-53). Later in the poem, Grendel is described as “bearing God’s hatred.” He was born to kill. In the epic, Grendel found happiness in his killing sprees. He was like his mother and his grandfather, Cain. These passages seem to indicate that Grendel was born this way. To use the scientific term, he inherited the “warrior gene” from his grandfather and parents.

When Grendel was in the early stages of his youth, his mother shows her concern by pushing him close to herself, as if to take him back: “[Grendel] would bawl and hurl [himself] at [his] mother and she would reach out her claws and seize [him], though [he] could see [he] alarmed her, and she would smash [him] into her fat, limp breast as if to make [him] a part of her flesh again” (17). Grendel’s mother fears Grendel, so she tends to emphasize her dissatisfaction with him, as expressed through her action of trying to get rid of him by merging herself with Grendel. Once again, Grendel hasn’t partaken in any particular evils, but this clouded maternal judgment brings out sympathy in the reader because not even Grendel’s own mother is proud of him. When Grendel’s mind is getting increasingly convoluted with the words of the Shaper, his mother becomes alarmed and apprehensive toward him: “She was pitiful, foul, her smile a jagged white tear in the firelight: waste” (55). Here, Grendel’s mother reveals her true emotions toward Grendel without any hidden evidence needed; he is an unwanted, chilling creature that she must call a son. Grendel’s mother, who is of the same lineage as Grendel, whether it be evil or not, deems that her son is far more evil than she is, even though she has all of his traits. Grendel is able to look over his mother’s judgment rather easily because of the communication barrier, but there is one character who alters Grendel’s outlook on life, the

Grendel's mother in the Beowulf is portrayed more as a human than a hellion. Even though she is more humanoid she still has monster characteristics such as her tough skin and claws: “Discovered that no sword could slice her evil/Skin, that Hrunting could not hurt her,” (Beowulf 479-480). Until the point in the plot where she arrives, readers have no understanding of her, only that Grendel is her son. Readers learn she is more intelligent and physically fit than Gardner's version and maybe even her son. The epic describes her strength as honorable as a man’s: “No female, no matter how fierce, could have come with a man’s strength,/Fought with the power and courage men fight with,” (Beowulf 401-402). Her intellectual capacity is great enough for her to have a motive and a revenge scheme when she heads to Herot: “To save her life, she move[s] still faster,/T[aking] a single victim and fle[eing] from the hall,” (Beowulf 410-411). Though she may comprehend more than Gardner’s version, she still lacks the ability of speech.

An example of the differentiation of Grendel’s mother was Ch.19 “That hag was in haste, wanting to flee with her life when the liegemen spotted her. However, she seized a single clansman firmly as she fled”. This portrayal of Grendel’s mother makes her seem not as powerful as her son, Grendel. However, in the movie, Grendel’s mother is a foe who Beowulf never defeats. The major role change that is played by Grendel’s mother shows how women’s image has changed over the

During the sixth century, in which the setting of Beowulf takes place, the Germans held an idealistic conception of a woman’s behavior and responsibilities. In Jane Chance’s literary criticism “The Structural Unity of Beowulf: The Problem of Grendel’s Mother,” she frequently claims that “Grendel’s Mother inverts the Germanic roles of the mother and the queen, or lady. She has the form of a woman and is weaker than a man…but unlike most mothers and queens, she fights her own battles” (Chance 155). Many critics and readers view “the episode in Beowulf involving Grendel’s Mother as largely extraneous,” (152) however I concur with Jane Chance’s argument that Grendel’s Mother fits within the structural

She is depicted as a beast lady (or maybe warrior-lady, aglæc-wif, 1259), covetous, inauspicious disapproved (gifre ond galg-mod, 1277), and is related with the descendents of Cain (1260-1268), a definitive (and first) detestable human. She is additionally alluded to utilizing a term constantly utilized as a part of reference to female people, never creatures, and generally held for honorable ladies: ides (1351). The utilization of this term demonstrates that Grendel's mom, however she is somehow reviled by God, and huge, is by and by a human. This reality raises a few issues identified with her capacity to retaliate for the demise of her child. As it is expressed toward the start of the sonnet, Grendel and his mom are untouchables from society (106-114) and hence, maybe, are not held to an indistinguishable societal desires from other individuals. For instance, Grendel is portrayed as being unwilling (or not able) to get treasure from the lord since God, who expelled Cain from mankind, moreover ousted his posterity (168-169 ). However a couple lines prior the ballad says that Grendel did not wish to end the executing by an installment of wergild (154-158). Maybe the expulsion was in reality mostly self-dispensed. Regardless, a few researchers have utilized these motivations to contend that Grendel and his

From the start of the poem, we learn that Grendel and his mother are outcasts from society (104-114) and thus, do not have the same expectations within society as a thane or another person following wergild. This makes her much more dangerous and fearful to people and even to powerful kings such as Hrothgar. As a female monster figure, Grendel’s mother defies the societal expectations of a woman and utilizes much of the same power that Beowulf and other masculine, heroic warrior-figures embody: she is independent, and lives and protects her “home” and family by herself. Her ability to disrupt a fully functioning, stable society attests to her immense

This monster, however, is given human-like qualities that allow the reader to understand–even sympathize–with her. First, Grendel's mother is shown to be “fierce and gloomy” (1277), grieving and angered by the loss of her son who was brutally murdered. She then sets out for Heorot on “a sorry journey to avenge her son” (1278). Unlike in today's society, revenge was actually considered noble in the Anglo-Saxon culture of the time and one would be viewed as immoral for simply forgiving the murder of a family member. With this in mind, Grendel's mother's intent to kill Beowulf becomes much more reasonable. Both her anguish over the death of her son as well as her plan to take the life of the person who killed him, are similar to the emotions and actions of the various humans in the story. One of these situations regards Beowulf's father, who after murdering a member of the Heorogar family, was killed by them in an act of revenge. In addition to the characterization of Grendel's mother as more human-like than monster, the author also added some interesting parallels between her and Beowulf, just like there had been with Grendel himself. For example, Beowulf takes Grendel’s arm as a trophy when he defeats him in battle, while Grendel's mother takes Æschere’s body after she attacks Heorot. She also ends up beheading Æschere, which Beowulf repays by beheading both her and

Beowulf offers us two reasons to fear the Grendel’s Mothers of the world. The first is the anger of someone scorned and the second is the temptation of greatness in immorality. These two things from the oldest work of literature in all of history should also be feared in reality as they both wreak havoc where ever they preside.

Evidence Quotes from Text: lines 1258-1261 and 1276-1278 Explanation: Grendel’s mother is the only female character that shows the more physical and contradicting social interpretation of women, Unlike the previous women mentioned, she uses force and violence in order to get what she wants. Her entire role in the story says nothing but negative aspects. She is described as “monster woman”, “greedy”, “grim-minded”, and is linked to the decedents of Cain. Quotes from Text: lines 1279-1287 Explanation: Her way of living shows masculinity in her behavior and her in her actions towards the other characters.

Males are the heroes of epics. Their battles, both defeats and triumphs, are laid out plainly for the audience to appreciate. However, women in epics such as Beowulf play just as important, though often much quieter, role in these war based societies. The female characters in Beowulf are seen as the balancing, peace bearers to the males’ fighting nature.

Despite the fact that Satan’s evil attempt failed he managed to enter the transformation phase into the master of two worlds. Through his attempt at casting humanity into damnation with him he accepts his ability to rule on earth by mastering the art of persuasion and his rule in his eternal wasteland known as hell.

Despite the all-powerfulness of God, Satan still addresses himself powerful and does not see his defeat. This can be seen where Satan declares, “Divided