Cain
Cain, from the Bible, is the person who brought the evil of fratricide into the world. He opened the gates for two very evil characters in Grendel of Grendel and King Claudius of Hamlet. Throughout their respective epic poem and play, these characters portray the utmost evil within our society. "Claudius is thus not only Cain but Adam. Claudius's sin has, for Hamlet at least, turned Denmark into a fallen Eden; thorns and thistles dominate the landscape." King Claudius' evil is shown through the play but it is especially shown in the murder of the late King Hamlet of Denmark. King Hamlet is a very respected figure in the country of Denmark; Claudius' choice to kill Hamlet not only results in death for Claudius, it also results in the end of Denmark's reign of power. Grendel, born into a life of social troubles, has many problems dealing with his identity and appearance. To gain attention, he goes on a killing rampage and kills numerous innocent people along the way. His motive for this is to gain attention from the people who used to never pay attention to him; his motive also has to deal with his insecurity concerning his looks. Insecurity is a big topic in these two characters. Both acted upon decisions based on a lack of atten
I hunkered down at the edge of the forest, looking up the long hill at the mead hall lights. I could hear the Shaper's song. I know longer remember exactly what he sang. I know only that it had a strange effect on me; it no longer filled me with doubt and distress, loneliness, and shame. It enraged me. (p.104) Justice is a common element dealt with in a play that deals with such tragedy. The final element that roots evilness within a person is that of free will. " A hero must have free will or his fate would be decided for him, and his death could be avoided."6 This quote sums up both Grendel and Claudius. In Grendel's case, his free will was that he chose to terrorize his bordering communities. Since this was his choice to take part in that action, he justly received the consequences of death. His fateful death could have been avoided if he had used his free will to take another path. Claudius used his free will to take the Kingdom of Denmark into his control. He also used his free will to become someone he was not; that person was his brother Hamlet. He accustomed himself to all the luxuries Hamlet enjoyed that he did not such as a lovely wife Gertrude, the Kings palace, and the respect from all the people within the kingdom. But in the end his fate caught up with his free will and was killed by his nephew. The free will of a person is there own voluntary choice, within free will you can dictate what happens to you, and by that dictation you are setting up your outcome. Fate is the conclusion to your free will, once you choose the path you want to take through your life; you have also chosen your fate. It is exemplified through these two characters quite clear. Grendel and Claudius chose a dishonorable route and by choosing this route they chose a dishonorable death. Alienation is one motive for Grendel's evil actions, but many critics also feel that revenge is a contributing factor. " Grendel forces humanity to face its responsibility for the creation of "deviant" forms within its system." This quote by Michael Caconti brings up an interesting point. If a group or society choose to seclude a person or being from being apart of their way of life, can the society blame the person or being from retaliating back upon the society? The answer is no; the way Grendel has been ridiculed through his life by the Saxon people is similar to how the teenagers at Columbine High School were treated. They were made fun of and beaten up for not being a certain way. They retaliated on the people that hurt them, although retaliation in this fashion is not the right way it is much like how Grendel retaliated. He needed attention and no one would give it to him when he acted normal, so to gain that attention he decided to seek revenge upon the people who have hurt him the most. This is best exemplified when Grendel begins his raids up Horgrothar's villages and meadhalls.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Grendel Claudius, Prince Hamlet, Scott Critics, Denmark Claudius', Claudius Knight's, Heaven Claudius, Claudius Loyalty, Grendel Hrothgar's, Hamlet Denmark, Claudius God, king hamlet, grendel claudius, tragic hero, hamlet denmark, gain attention, prince hamlet, mead hall, king hamlet denmark, play hamlet, king denmark, king claudius, fallen eden thorns, eden thorns thistles, denmark fallen eden, hamlet denmark fallen,
Approximate Word count = 2762
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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