To be fair, the movie still lingers in my mind about Beowulf.
Grendel is a small child, and I know what you're thinking: "But Noah, it says he's a monster that ravished the land and the people of Hrothgar! How can he be a child?" I agree completely, he's a disgusting, "God-cursed brute" who relishes in the act of killing others (line 121). Now I ask to look at Grendel in a broad, over-generalized situation. To me it seems that Grendel was deprived, and being that he lived with his mother in the moors with nothing but the skin on his back, I say he might have felt the sense of "it isn't fair for the people of Hrothgar to have all of that food and money and I get nothing" mentality. Granted, I'm probably stretching it on this one, but don't we see kids act this way as well? Sure we don't see two year old's lashing out at each other attempting to take their life as penance for having a Thomas the Tank Engine train that they want; however, we do see when kids feel like they want a toy, they instinctively try to take it and will fight for that toy. Grendel may be killing the men that possessed the food and gold he coveted, sure, but it's a parallel act to children wanting toys.
At least I think so, but hey, what do I know? I'm calling Grendel a child and I still cut the crust off of sandwiches.
I commented on Darby and Daniel's posts.
This is an interesting take on the character of Grendel that I did not initially have when I read. However, I would be interested to hear the significance of Grendel being compared to a child. I think I understand what you are getting at, but not sure if I would go so far as to compare him to a child. It is definitely an interesting viewpoint on his character though - something to think about!
ReplyDeleteHis actions can be very childish. That is such an interesting way to consider Grendel's character, though I must admit that it was not the way I imagined him. However, I definitely see where you are coming from and it causes me to really think about Grendel's motives for killing as he does.
ReplyDeleteInteresting observation. It never occured to me that Grendel's actions were childish. I guess it makes sense, in a way.
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