The Games We Play

In chapter 5 of Morality Play Nicholas plays the role of an actor for the first time. About his experience, he observes: "I was a different person now, they did not hate me. They knew me for a japer, not a demon. I understood then, as I passed through the people and shook my bells and saw them smile, what all players come to know very well, how quickly shifting are our loves and hates, how they depend on mocks and disguises. With a horned mask and a wooden trident I was their fear of hellfire. Two minutes later, still the same timorous creature as before, with a fool's cap and a white mask, I was their hope of laughter. I was discovering the danger of disguise...A mask confers the terror of freedom, it is very easy to forget who you are."

Reflect on Nicholas' words and your own experience. Is what he says true? How? Why? What is "the terror of freedom"?

For those who discussed Ork....

Discuss the 4th priest's response on pp. 135-136. What's he talking about? Can you connect what the 4th priest says to Beowulf's italicized words on pp. 170-171? How are they related?

For those who talked about Beowulf's encounter with Grendel....

Some of Beowulf's words to Grendel are pretty strange but all can be explained one way or another. Choose some of Beowulf's words to Grendel and elaborate on WHY he says them, what Gardner wants us to understand from them and what WEAKNESS in Grendel is pointed out by them. Which words echo those of the Dragon? Why? What do Beowulf and the dragon have in common? There are no right or wrong answers -- Gardner is intentionally a bit ambiguous.

To those who responded to Grendel's final words....

The common thread seems to be an end to Grendel's pain and suffering. How about the "accident" part of it -- was it an accident? Why does Grendel insist that it was? What is he saying about the way the world works with the last line? Is he making excuses for himself and his behavior? Is there any irony in the ending or is Gardner trying to portray a serious truth about the nature of our existence? Explain.

What's Up with Ork?

Discuss Grendel's encounter with Ork in ch. 9. Why is Grendel confounded and moved by him? Is Gardner mocking religion or advocating it as a necessary antidote to the thinking of the Dragon? What is Ork's great revelation? Is it important to Grendel's development? Why or why not?

Grendel's Final Words

Why does Grendel ask in the last few lines of the book, "Is it joy I feel?" What does his last line mean?

Grendel's Encounter with Beowulf

Reread ch. 12. Why does Beowulf say the things he says to Grendel and why does Grendel respond the way he does?