Grendel's Astrology

The zodiac signs help Gardner to emphasize fate's potential in shaping life; humans are inevitably settled by the aspects of these zodiac signs. Since zodiac signs are based on astrology, it seems that life is being influenced by something superior and more unfathomable: the journey of the stars. Fate and certitude are very protrusive themes in the novel. The dragon accentuates fate's power, attributing his capability to see all of time in one glimpse. In the novel, the Dragon

The sign “Aries” is a sign that gives Grendel both aggressive and impulsive actions. Aries is the sign of chapter 1, and it introduces Grendel and his known ability to lose his temper. Aries is cleverly shown in this chapter by a ram approaching Grendel nonchalantly. Grendel, with no real reason, gets very angry at the ram and throws stones at it. Similar, Grendel also shows his repressed rage with his confusing anger towards the sky. Grendel “asks the sky [a question]. The sky says nothing, predictably.

In the novel, Grendel by John Gardener, Grendel is a human-like creature capable of rational thought as well as feeling emotions. Early on in the story Gardener depicts Grendel as being very observant, critical and somewhat spiteful of the world around him. He describes himself as a murderous monster who smells of death and crouches in the shadows. Grendel watches the humans from the shadows of the trees and at first it seems as though they are the real monsters, slaughtering and pillaging all for the sake of their leaders and for power. This light that the humans are put in gives Grendel a certain charisma about him, making him seem like the one to side with in this novel. Later in the story, however, things change. Grendel seeks out the

Although he describes her as a “life-bloated, baffled, long-suffering hag” (11), Grendel realizes that “she would gladly have given her life to end my [his] suffering… with useless, mindless love” (102). He also believes that “she must have some human in her” (11), furthering Grendel’s character as one that derived from humankind at the very least. The novel acts as a witness to the fact that Grendel did have a childhood. Although his childhood brought on some struggles, this is a part of all life, including that of people. He finds his purpose in life when “at an early age [he] is forced to deal with a brutal and meaningless reality” (Butts) and he begins he finds his purpose. Throughout Gardner’s novel, Grendel tries to learn “how best to deal with the world” (Butts). As Grendel grows up, he learns from and is influenced by many different people who act as his teachers and role models. These interactions are Grendel’s closest alternative to the relations that the average human has. Grendel has three unique influences in his life: his mother, the Shaper, and the dragon. Grendel views his mother with disgust and she provides the inspiration and motivation for him to do better with his own life. The Shaper’s influence brings out Grendel’s ability of

Throughout the novel, Grendel faces many things that challenge his philosophy of  the meaning of life. From his very own mother to Beowulf, Grendel changes. This is exactly like the structure of the novel. As each chapter is represented by a season and each ending of a chapter ends with a zodiac sign, it represents his change during his last year. Throughout the book, Grendel goes on a journey of self-discovery, and eventually becomes a nihilist, only to have his belief challenged by Beowulf. In the end Gardner proves that the virtues of individuality triumphs over meaningless violence and

The reader is able to see his internal conflict with time and willing confinement through the zodiac signs and their characteristics. The reader can also relate to his struggle dominated by the pre-existing nature that governs us all and makes us run on the same clock. Gardner writes that “the sun backs away from the world like a crab and the days grows shorter, the nights longer, more dark and dangerous” which shows the changing of the seasons through the sign of Cancer, but also the lack of control Grendel and us as humans have on time (46). All Grendel can truly do is wait, and it shows our equally useless battle against time.

Astrologers- People who were experts in the reading of astronomy and recounting it to another person’s life.

"The mountains are what I define them as.... What I see I inspire with usefulness... and all that I do not see is useless, a void." [28-29] Grendel then sees that the world is how he views it, and his senses make up everything: reality is dynamic. This important conclusion leads him to begin to look around him and form thoughts and opinions on all that he sees, as well as placing him at the first step down the road of the cynical death he suffers. His first impressions

In Grendel by John Gardner, the author establishes a dark and somber mood in chapter nine through his use of syntax. In the beginning of chapter nine, Grendel promotes a dark mood while observing the humans, made clear by his constant use of death-related words. The chapter itself begins with Grendel's depressing statement that "December, approaching the years darkest night, and the only way out of the dream is down and through it" (125). On the surface, his statement doesn't seem too dark, but under closer scrutiny it is clear that Gardner specifically utilizes concepts that are typically considered negative; "darkest night" and "down and through it" both hold a dark and foreboding connotation that makes it clear that Grendel seems to be

Music derived from astrology is surprisingly rare. The ancient Greek philosophers, whatever their intellectual attitudes towards astrology may have been, were certainly not ignorant of astrological teachings and ideas. It was they, after all who put forward the idea of the "Music of the Spheres", the idea that these vast objects twirling around and whirling through space, must have hummed a tone as they went along their courses, much as a ball spun on a string will whistle. They knew of seven planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Not surprisingly, western music evolved with seven-tone scales. Music and astrology come together again in this suite devoted to the seven planets, though Uranus

I’m like that.” (6) “Why is it that both descriptions seem to fit you - or, for that matter, why do you seem to recognize yourself in the self-analysis of all twelve astrological signs?” (6) This situation shows how one may take any description of someone’s personality and try to apply it to themselves, even if the description may be negative. This reveals how someone may try to relate their personality to something that might not truly describe them as a person. He also says “You may or may not believe in astrology, but to judge from the popularity of astrology these days, you will probably read your horoscope.”

I've decided to write about the constellation called Sagittarius. I've chosen this specific constellation because my zodiac sign is Sagittarius. It has been listed by the astronomer Ptolemy in 2nd century. The word Sagittarius means Archer and it's derived from Latin. It's usually represented by a centaur drawing a bow.

Predictions of health, wealth, and leaderships were made. Some failed dude to drastic decisions and some succeeded. “A famous writer and astrologist was Pico della Mirandola wrote a book ‘Disputations against Disputations’ published in 1496, which detailed problems with astrological theories and techniques with astrological practice.” (renaissance astrology.com). With the correct practice of astrology and the experienced knowledge on the subject can make an imagination become reality.

Astrologers use things such as the time of one’s birth in relation to the position of these objects as a basis for making predictions about a person’s personality traits, things which they may or may not do, or things which they may

Every human in this world has a different personality, style, and mind set. Out of 7.4 billion people in this world, Myranda Yiselle still finds a way to set herself apart from the rest. On November 29, 1998, a sagittarius queen was born. The hardworking pastry chef has close to no free time, yet she still finds a way to make some for boxing and conditioning. She isn’t very decided on what she wants to do in the future but there is one thing she knows for sure she wants to be successful.