Journal #5

Journal #5

What is Grendel’s attitude toward language? How does it change throughout the novel?

                Concerning Grendel’s attitude toward language in the novel, Grendel writes after the events of the novel have been experienced, at least most of them. The present of the novel is the 12^th year of his battle with humans, even though most of the novel is history of background. Accordingly, Grendel relates the history of his encounters and experiences with humans and their or his language. The narrator’s language itself does not change throughout the novel, though the novel is in part a record of how his attitude toward language changed in the past. Grendel sees language as a way of escaping his prison of loneliness. From the time he is born, Grendel has lived in a cave with his mother who couldn’t speak a single word. Grendel however, begins to roam out the cave. He speaks to the humans in a language that he compares equal to the human’s language. No one is able to understand him which leaves him feeling lonely. He is trapped in an interior monologue where he can only communicate to himself and no other. Additionally, Grendel embraces language in the beginning of the novel but as he ages, he begins to see life as having no meaning at all and his language skills start to weaken. Throughout the story, Grendel changes his language and understanding of language. He begins to speak from his consciousness and links the story in a modern world. He begins to experiment with different genres and learn how to use lines and verses.

Journal #4

Beowulf Journal #4

Epic poetry usually embodies the attitudes and ideals of an entire culture. What values of Anglo-Saxon society does Beowulf reveal? What universal themes does it also reveal? Use specific examples from the epic poem to support your answer (300-500) words.

                Beowulf captures the very essence of Anglo-Saxon warfare culture, while embodying themes of human behavior such as heroic deeds, personal glory, envy, greed, and pride. Beowulf embodies these characteristics because he is heroic and courageous when going on his quests to fight off evil and protect his community. In the poem, Beowulf fights Grendel who taunts the people in the community in order to protect them. The poem states that Beowulf must have Grendel, who “murders as he likes, with no mercy, gorges, and feats on your flesh” which is a prime example of how Grendel treated the citizens because he obtained excessive power and strength. The Saxon concept of loyal reliance on one absolute leader grew out of a need for Beowulf to protect the community from terrors of the sordid enemy in order to gain their loyalty which was to establish law and order. He completed his missions and gained respect from the people. Additionally, Anglo-Saxons had communal halls that provided a meeting place in the center of the village for the townsfolk. The hall in Beowulf was the mead-hall where the Saxon warriors feasted had been built by Herot. Beowulf is also described as having gallant qualities that allow him to face evils. Heroism, according the Anglo-Saxons is awarded because it is praiseworthy to die in battle. The battle that was described was with Grendel which showed Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Beowulf’s superhuman powers and abilities allow him to provide protection and save his people. Beowulf’s actions proved is heroic and courageous qualities which reflected the attitudes and ideas of the Anglo-Saxon culture also because of his honorable death in battle. This showed is commitment and service for the community. Overall, Beowulf mirrored the Anglo-Saxon culture by possessing and demonstrating the significance of heroism and bravery. Beowulf gathers the aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture in a way that makes this epic poem identifiable, brilliant.

Journal #3

Journal #3

                The tone towards the end of the epic, Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, descends to being mournful. The tone of the story changes throughout from being formal to laudatory to mournful due to what is occurring in it at that point. At this point, the tone is sad because Beowulf starts losing when he fights his enemies and the people defending him become woeful. Wiglaf, a son of Weohstan, “remembered the bountiful gifts bestowed upon him” before the fight with the dragon (Heaney 46). The word remembered allows the readers to sense something which occurred in the past and is no longer available or happening. Also, the Wiglaf was “sad at heart” when talking to his friends saying, “I remember that time when mead was flowing, how we pledged loyalty to our lord in the hall…” which shows how he, along with his companions who agreed with him, grieved the mead hall and kept in mind the festivities which took place there (Heaney 46). The words “doom,” “assail,” “distraught,” “mourning,” and “sorrowed,” contributed to the depressing tone towards the end of the epic (Heaney 48).

Journal #2

Grendel Essay

                Grendel tortured and frightened the people of the city by ruling over them with his indescribable strength and size. The ruler of the town, Hrothgar, has built a mead-hall where his “men lived happily” here (Raffel 15). Grendel grows impatient and angry because of the sound of the people partying while he remains below the lake secluded from everyone. Continuing his evil ways, Grendel, “the powerful monster, living down in the darkness,” travels to the city later that night and kill many of the people living in the hall because of jealousy (Raffel 1-2). The fiend endlessly depicts the characteristics of a coward by bulling the city people as well as others. The character of Grendel is portrayed as a monster that possesses superhuman strength. This is proven by study of Grendel’s meaning, descriptions, and actions.

                The monstrous Grendel was the descendent of the Biblical characters Cain, who had a brother, Abel. “Conceived by a pair of those monsters born, of Cain, murderous creatures banished, by God, punished forever for the crime, of Abel’s death” (Raffel 20-3). Grendel was shut away from men by living in the darkness at the bottom of a lake. In the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel and he was punished for the crime by dying. Likewise, Grendel was punished for his crime, which was killing people, by being exiled into the bottom of the lake. Cain killed his brother who he was jealous of because of his blessings and prosperity. Grendel killed people of the city because he did not want them to have a good time since they were “loud in that hall, the harp rejoicing” (Raffel 4). Overall, Grendel descended from Cain by committing some of the same sins as he did. .

                Grendel is described as an evil, half-man, half-fiend monster that possesses staggering strength. . Towards the warriors of Denmark, the inhabitants of Herot, Grendel is someone they fear because of his extraordinary influence and force. “A powerful monster…growled in pain…that demon, that fiend” (Raffel 1-16). Grendel is described as making “his home in a hell,” killing the people of the city then leaving “delighted with his night’s slaughter” (Raffel 18-40). Hrothgar “sat joyless…mourning the fate of his lost friends and companions,” not being able to defend himself because of the lack of strength” (Raffel 44-46). The people of Herot sat in fear of Grendel because of his superior strength and abilities.

                Grendel, after hearing the enjoyment from the city of Herot, took matter into his own hands, as usual. Since he did not like how “Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall,” Grendel traveled to the city of Herot and “snatched up thirty men, smashed them” (Raffel 15-37). Grendel acted evilly thinking no one in the city would be able to defeat him because of his strength and power. Returning the next night, “each warrior tried to escape him” and left the city of Herot (Raffel 53-54). Grendel tormented the city of Herot because of jealousy, acting like a coward. He took advantage of the dependant people who needed each other to succeed. Grendel, through his terrorizing ways, tortured the citizens of Herot because of their lack of competition.   

                Grendel’s character is expressed as the “descendent of Cain”, “evil, half-man, half-fiend monster”, and a “coward.” Grendel is the descendent of Cain since they both commit the same sin, which is killing people. Grendel is described as an evil and corrupt descendent of Cain who can’t be tamed by the people of Herot. By attaining this superhuman strength, Grendel tortures the people in Herot by killing most of them and placing fear in them. Raffel, through his descriptive words and scenes, wanted the readers to see and experience the intense cruelty Grendel befell upon the town people.

Journal #1

Beowulf vs Superhero

Archetypal heroes obtain supernatural powers which are used to aid the community. In the Anglo-Saxon epic poem, Beowulf receives help from God. Throughout the poem, he makes references to God and the Christian religion. He believes his success is because of God’s presence. In the modern day New York City movie, Spiderman, Spiderman receives help from science. Peter Parker, who is Spiderman, gains his powers due to the innovations in the scientific world. Both of the heroes acquire help form something greater than them to help their society. Another common trait to archetypal heroes is that an event leads up to the quest the hero partakes in. In Beowulf’s family past and Grendel’s attack leads to Beowulf coming to save the Geats. He recognizes that he must save the people because Hrothgar helped his father out of debt earlier. Likewise, Parker’s uncle is murdered by a random robber on the street which causes Peter to use his powers to help the people of New York City. In both of these works, the heroes are different from society and obtain uniqueness, solving problems no one else can. They both rely on something greater than them and react to an event that leads to adventure.