Grendal's encounter with Beowolf is very different in the novel than it is portrayed in the epic. Beowolf talks to Grendel the way he does and says the things he says because he feels very powerful and better than Grendel. he basically talks down the Grendel and says hes "cleansing away evil" Grendel at first feels like since Beowolf is only a human that he can escape him, but then he soon realizes that he cant and there is no hope for him.
Grendel's encounter with Beowulf puts Grendel in a different light. He is finally losing to someone. Beowulf grabs Grendel's arm and has a good grip on it. He is crushing it. Beowulf twists Grendel's arm and Grendel starts to whimper and scream because of the pain. Now Grendel sees Beowulf with wings just like the dragon, he believes that Beowulf is actually telling him the same things that the dragon has said. This is because Grendel is in so much pain he cannot focus. He immediately goes back to the thing that is burning him up inside, the thing that has confused him to the point where it is all he can think about, his encounter with the dragon and all the things the Dragon told him. So when he was in that pain he envisioned Beowulf as a mix with the dragon because they both defied Grendel. They both went against Grendel. The dragon went against him mentally and Beowulf physically. At the end right around the time Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off, Grendel envisions Beowulf with wings and breathing fire. He envisions him as the dragon.
When Grendel raids the meadhall and they are all sleeping, he is crazy with joy because he thinks he can seize all the men that are sleeping. When he encounters Beowulf, he is tricked, because Beowulf is really awake. Beowulf twists Grendel's arm causing him great pain. He tries to escape Beowulf but he slips on blood and now Beowulf has the upperhand in their battle. When Grendel is down, Beowulf starts whispering in Grendel's ear. He psychs Grendel out and brainwashes him and Grendel feels weaker and defenseless. Beowulf says these things to Grendel to show how weak he really is, and Grendel whines and cries for his mother. Beowulf says these things to Grendel to show that it is easy to get to Grendel by pointing out his weaknesses, showing that Grendel is not as threatening as he thought and whimpers for his mother. Beowulf is able to make Grendel do what he wants him to do- he forces him to sing about the hardness of the wall. This shows that Grendel succumbs to the brainwashing of Beowulf. Through Beowulf's words he is able to wrap Grendel's mind around his finger and do what he says. Grendel's attitude goes from joy, thinking he can capture all the men in the meadhall, to extreme helplessness because of Beowulf's words.
Nwalsh -- Your observations are good ones. Beowulf definitely mirrors the dragon in Grendel's mind not only in his defiance of Grendel and Grendel's impression of him as dragon-like but also in his words. Some of Beowulf's words exactly mirror those of the Dragon. The question is why? Are their intentions and meaning the same? How or how not?
mmb -- You make a good point about Grendel's weakness. Beowulf exploits it. But what exactly is his weakness? Why does he want him to sing about the hardness of the wall? What reality does he want to force on GRendel and why?
Grendel had been anticipating this night. He felt that it would finally free him from the bordom he had been suffering from. He enters the mead hall, and is exstatic that they are all sleeping. After eating one man, he approaches Beowulf, and is immediately caught off guard. Beowulf seizes him. Grendel can't believe it, he has never imagined any man could have a strength greater than his own. After slipping, Grendel gets pinned on his back. Beowulf now comes close to Grendel and begins to whisper in his ear. He tells him very similar things that the dragon had told him previously. Beowulf says that life is "a meaningless swirl in the stream of time, a temporary gathering of bits (Gardner 170)." These words cause Grendel to have the illusion that Beowulf is also a dragon. However, he goes on to say how evil will essentially be cleansed from the world. He says that is why he will kill Grendel. By saying all of these things, Beowulf is able to get inside of Grendel's head, and cripple him mentally. Grendel responds by saying if Beowulf wins, it is only an accident. Beowulf basically restates what the dragon had told Grendel earlier: he makes men who they are. He gives them something to live for. I personally think that is what Beowulf uses the wall to represent. I interpereted it as Grendel's attacks on the humans caused them to build the wall, which shows how he plays a big role in who they are.
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Grendal's encounter with Beowolf is very different in the novel than it is portrayed in the epic. Beowolf talks to Grendel the way he does and says the things he says because he feels very powerful and better than Grendel. he basically talks down the Grendel and says hes "cleansing away evil" Grendel at first feels like since Beowolf is only a human that he can escape him, but then he soon realizes that he cant and there is no hope for him.
Grendel's encounter with Beowulf puts Grendel in a different light. He is finally losing to someone. Beowulf grabs Grendel's arm and has a good grip on it. He is crushing it. Beowulf twists Grendel's arm and Grendel starts to whimper and scream because of the pain. Now Grendel sees Beowulf with wings just like the dragon, he believes that Beowulf is actually telling him the same things that the dragon has said. This is because Grendel is in so much pain he cannot focus. He immediately goes back to the thing that is burning him up inside, the thing that has confused him to the point where it is all he can think about, his encounter with the dragon and all the things the Dragon told him. So when he was in that pain he envisioned Beowulf as a mix with the dragon because they both defied Grendel. They both went against Grendel. The dragon went against him mentally and Beowulf physically. At the end right around the time Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off, Grendel envisions Beowulf with wings and breathing fire. He envisions him as the dragon.
When Grendel raids the meadhall and they are all sleeping, he is crazy with joy because he thinks he can seize all the men that are sleeping. When he encounters Beowulf, he is tricked, because Beowulf is really awake. Beowulf twists Grendel's arm causing him great pain. He tries to escape Beowulf but he slips on blood and now Beowulf has the upperhand in their battle. When Grendel is down, Beowulf starts whispering in Grendel's ear. He psychs Grendel out and brainwashes him and Grendel feels weaker and defenseless. Beowulf says these things to Grendel to show how weak he really is, and Grendel whines and cries for his mother. Beowulf says these things to Grendel to show that it is easy to get to Grendel by pointing out his weaknesses, showing that Grendel is not as threatening as he thought and whimpers for his mother. Beowulf is able to make Grendel do what he wants him to do- he forces him to sing about the hardness of the wall. This shows that Grendel succumbs to the brainwashing of Beowulf. Through Beowulf's words he is able to wrap Grendel's mind around his finger and do what he says. Grendel's attitude goes from joy, thinking he can capture all the men in the meadhall, to extreme helplessness because of Beowulf's words.
Nwalsh -- Your observations are good ones. Beowulf definitely mirrors the dragon in Grendel's mind not only in his defiance of Grendel and Grendel's impression of him as dragon-like but also in his words. Some of Beowulf's words exactly mirror those of the Dragon. The question is why? Are their intentions and meaning the same? How or how not?
mmb -- You make a good point about Grendel's weakness. Beowulf exploits it. But what exactly is his weakness? Why does he want him to sing about the hardness of the wall? What reality does he want to force on GRendel and why?
Grendel had been anticipating this night. He felt that it would finally free him from the bordom he had been suffering from. He enters the mead hall, and is exstatic that they are all sleeping. After eating one man, he approaches Beowulf, and is immediately caught off guard. Beowulf seizes him. Grendel can't believe it, he has never imagined any man could have a strength greater than his own. After slipping, Grendel gets pinned on his back. Beowulf now comes close to Grendel and begins to whisper in his ear. He tells him very similar things that the dragon had told him previously. Beowulf says that life is "a meaningless swirl in the stream of time, a temporary gathering of bits (Gardner 170)." These words cause Grendel to have the illusion that Beowulf is also a dragon. However, he goes on to say how evil will essentially be cleansed from the world. He says that is why he will kill Grendel. By saying all of these things, Beowulf is able to get inside of Grendel's head, and cripple him mentally. Grendel responds by saying if Beowulf wins, it is only an accident. Beowulf basically restates what the dragon had told Grendel earlier: he makes men who they are. He gives them something to live for. I personally think that is what Beowulf uses the wall to represent. I interpereted it as Grendel's attacks on the humans caused them to build the wall, which shows how he plays a big role in who they are.
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