Post by jennyxu on Jul 17, 2013 7:43:26 GMT
Grendel's mind is one of confusion and inner turmoil. While most monsters typically do not give much thought to their quests for blood and destruction, Grendel often feels the need to justify his actions, whether to ease his own mind or to convince the audience of the necessity of those actions. Are his actions (his sporadic yet constant returns to the meadhall for example) driven by reason, by nature, or by an insane mixture? At times, he seems to display a bloodlust and desire for torture appropriate to the natural behavior of monsters. Other times, he follows deliberate logic, such as the need for food and the importance of his actions to the humans. One source of his sense of purpose may be derived from his visit to the dragon, who told him, "You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves" (73). There seems to be a shift in the tone of Grendel's inner dialogue, from a focus on time and weariness to frantic debates on his purpose within his surroundings. What do his justifications for his actions (specifically that the humans need a source of fear that only Grendel can provide) reveal about his views when projected onto society as a whole?
For example, his reasonings echo a repeating thread in the novel, the inescapable paths set by nature. This theme is shown when he illustrates the patterns of the sun as "mindlessly" and "as if by plan" (138). Also, when he encounters a goat, he scornfully describes: "He keeps on climbing, mindless, mechanical, because it is the business of goats to climb" (139). They cannot control their actions; they must instead follow the paths curved for them. Nature is portrayed in a negative light, as a limitation to all objects and creatures. It creates an explanation for his actions, as the unbreakable "curse" set on him by nature's concrete definition of the role of monsters embitters Grendel. What other clues support or oppose this view of nature? What else do his descriptions of the world around him reveal?
For example, his reasonings echo a repeating thread in the novel, the inescapable paths set by nature. This theme is shown when he illustrates the patterns of the sun as "mindlessly" and "as if by plan" (138). Also, when he encounters a goat, he scornfully describes: "He keeps on climbing, mindless, mechanical, because it is the business of goats to climb" (139). They cannot control their actions; they must instead follow the paths curved for them. Nature is portrayed in a negative light, as a limitation to all objects and creatures. It creates an explanation for his actions, as the unbreakable "curse" set on him by nature's concrete definition of the role of monsters embitters Grendel. What other clues support or oppose this view of nature? What else do his descriptions of the world around him reveal?