Post by danyhong55 on Sept 4, 2013 5:20:19 GMT
The book seems like a satirical comment on the great epics and heroic songs made by men. As I've brought up before, the Shaper sings ballads about the great prowess that King Hrothulf possess. He sings the glorious take-over of the surrounding Danish land. However, the harper refuses to acknowledges the blood, the gore and the death that comes with such victory. I wonder if this is just a human condition brought up in culture and tradition, or an intrinsic trait instilled in us from birth.
One notable example is nostalgia. When we think about the past, we tend to forget the bad things that happened and remember only the good. That's why the "good ol' days" seem much brighter and happier than the moment we live in. Grendel is unlike us though. He does not exactly recognize the past as much as we do. He doesn't celebrate heroics or tell himself embellished tales of yonder. He lives in the now.
In fact, Grendel makes fun of Unferth thinking he was heroic. When the warrior threatens to send the beast in to the depth of hell, the monster just mocks him. Instead engaging in real combat, Grendel starts throwing apples at the poor hero: "And now I was raining apples at him and laughing myself weak (85). He then regards the hero as a boy, a "poor miserable virgin" (85). Heroics don't matter at all to the beast, but humans consider it the highest honor, so much so that Unferth swims through the lake of firesnakes to confront Grendel once more. There he states that, "No man...will ever know whether Unferth died here or fled to the hills like a coward" (88). Now the warrior's decision to follow Grendel is no longer about the praise and worship, but rather a product of the praise and worship. Being a hero is an artificial, social construct that people, especially the Shaper, perpetuates by praising those who are deemed heroic. And while that may drive Unferth to confront Grendel, the beast disregards the notion of heroics and even begins to find that the concept was "beginning to grate" (89).
Grendel recognizes that the world is indifferent to neither the suffering nor the success of man. In a very naturalist style of writing, Gardner notes that the world is cold and unforgiving, especially to heroes. However, in the eyes of man, the "whole world's meaningless." The value of life goes beyond what is (how Grendel thinks life is) and into the ontological meaning of life.
While Beowulf was an amazing epic of a great hero majestically besting a beast, the reality of the story is much more bland and bleak. Although the last battle was quite the fluke (Grendel calling it an "accident" (172).), the records show that through unmatched skill is truly what took down the monster of the Danes. Perhaps heroics is just another way for humans to appreciate ourselves, in a more heroic manner, than looking at the world with bleak eyes.
One notable example is nostalgia. When we think about the past, we tend to forget the bad things that happened and remember only the good. That's why the "good ol' days" seem much brighter and happier than the moment we live in. Grendel is unlike us though. He does not exactly recognize the past as much as we do. He doesn't celebrate heroics or tell himself embellished tales of yonder. He lives in the now.
In fact, Grendel makes fun of Unferth thinking he was heroic. When the warrior threatens to send the beast in to the depth of hell, the monster just mocks him. Instead engaging in real combat, Grendel starts throwing apples at the poor hero: "And now I was raining apples at him and laughing myself weak (85). He then regards the hero as a boy, a "poor miserable virgin" (85). Heroics don't matter at all to the beast, but humans consider it the highest honor, so much so that Unferth swims through the lake of firesnakes to confront Grendel once more. There he states that, "No man...will ever know whether Unferth died here or fled to the hills like a coward" (88). Now the warrior's decision to follow Grendel is no longer about the praise and worship, but rather a product of the praise and worship. Being a hero is an artificial, social construct that people, especially the Shaper, perpetuates by praising those who are deemed heroic. And while that may drive Unferth to confront Grendel, the beast disregards the notion of heroics and even begins to find that the concept was "beginning to grate" (89).
Grendel recognizes that the world is indifferent to neither the suffering nor the success of man. In a very naturalist style of writing, Gardner notes that the world is cold and unforgiving, especially to heroes. However, in the eyes of man, the "whole world's meaningless." The value of life goes beyond what is (how Grendel thinks life is) and into the ontological meaning of life.
While Beowulf was an amazing epic of a great hero majestically besting a beast, the reality of the story is much more bland and bleak. Although the last battle was quite the fluke (Grendel calling it an "accident" (172).), the records show that through unmatched skill is truly what took down the monster of the Danes. Perhaps heroics is just another way for humans to appreciate ourselves, in a more heroic manner, than looking at the world with bleak eyes.