Contrast of Beowulf and Grendel

A detailed Summary of Contrast of Beowulf and Grendel


The epic is a long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a hero who embodies the culture and ideals of the society in which the epic is based. The characteristics of the warrior culture of the Anglo-Saxons are displayed in the epic Beowulf, the national epic of England. In the epic, the Geat warrior hero Beowulf comes to the aid of the Danish King Hrothgar, and slays the demon, Grendel, who he has been ravaging his lands for twelve years. Written around 750 A.D. by an unknown poet, Beowulf is considered by most to be the first masterpiece of the English language. Beowulf belongs to the present as well as the past. Over one thousand years later, in 1971, John Gardner wrote a modern version of the epic. In re-working the epic Beowulf into prose, Gardner created the modern novel Grendel that is markedly different from its source in both form and content.

One main difference in the two works is the way the author favors the protagonist in each work. In Grendel, the reader, through knowing Grendel's thoughts, develops a feeling of empathy toward him, and understands why the monster attack




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Approximate Word count = 766
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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