Post by haleyjensen on Aug 18, 2013 6:29:41 GMT
There are many changes throughout the novel Grendel. There's a ton of character development, twists in the plot, new characters introduced, and Grendel's perspective of the world evolves. One of the main constants I've picked up on in the story is the meadhall. Once I realized what a staple the meadhall is in Grendel's life and Gardner's story, it got me thinking of a few questions. What does the meadhall represent? Why did Gardner pick this setting for such large portions of the book? What do the drunken thanes represent? What effect does the fact that the king (the government) dwell in a place of drunkenness have on the story? What would you consider a modern-day meadhall: a bar, or something else? In my head, the meadhall is easily overlooked because on the surface, it represents a bunch of people who lack self-control or judgment in their drunken state. It's easy to say that the meadhall fits nicely into the story because the fact that people there are drunk a majority of the time makes it easier for Grendel to eat them. But, what is the deal with the meadhall beyond these simple "surface" observations? Here are a few quotes about the meadhall that got me thinking... Maybe they will have an impact on you as well.
"And so I come through the trees and towns to the lights of Hrothgar's meadhall. I am no stranger here. A respected guest. Eleven years now going on twelve and I have come up this clean-mown central hill, dark shadow out of the woods below, and have knocked politely on the high oak door, bursting its hinges and sending the shock of my greeting inward like a cold blast out of a cave" (12).
"They would listen to each other at the meadhall tables, their pinches, cunning rats faces picking like needles at the boaster's words, the warfalcons gazing down, black, from the rafters, and when one of them finished his raving threats, another would stand up and lift up his ram's horn, or draw his sword, or sometimes both if he was very drunk, and he'd tell them what he planned to do" (32).
"In the end, I had to eat them. As a rule, though, that wasn't how all their drinking turned out. Normally the men would howl out their daring, and the evening would get merrier, louder and louder, the king praising this one, criticizing that one, no one getting hurt except maybe some female who was asking for it, and eventually they'd all fall asleep on each other like lizards, and I'd steal a cow" (33).
"Hrothgar met with his council for many nights and days, and they drank and talked and prayed to their curious carved-out creatures and finally came to a decision" (39).
"Inspired by winds (or whatever you please), the old man sang of a glorious meadhall whose light would shine to the ends of the ragged world" (47).
"The night air was filled with the smell of apples and shocked grain, and I could hear the noise in the meadhall from a mile away. I moved toward it, drawn as always, as if by some kind of curse" (76).
"The meadhall seemed to stretch for miles, out to the edges of time and space, and I saw myself killing them, on and on and on, as if mechanically, without contest" (81).
"I stayed in the ruin, prowling where long-dead giants prowled, my heart aching to know what the strangers were doing now, up at the meadhall" (156).
Respond to whatever questions above you feel are relevant, as well as with any other questions you may have about the meadhall and other quotations you found interesting!
"And so I come through the trees and towns to the lights of Hrothgar's meadhall. I am no stranger here. A respected guest. Eleven years now going on twelve and I have come up this clean-mown central hill, dark shadow out of the woods below, and have knocked politely on the high oak door, bursting its hinges and sending the shock of my greeting inward like a cold blast out of a cave" (12).
"They would listen to each other at the meadhall tables, their pinches, cunning rats faces picking like needles at the boaster's words, the warfalcons gazing down, black, from the rafters, and when one of them finished his raving threats, another would stand up and lift up his ram's horn, or draw his sword, or sometimes both if he was very drunk, and he'd tell them what he planned to do" (32).
"In the end, I had to eat them. As a rule, though, that wasn't how all their drinking turned out. Normally the men would howl out their daring, and the evening would get merrier, louder and louder, the king praising this one, criticizing that one, no one getting hurt except maybe some female who was asking for it, and eventually they'd all fall asleep on each other like lizards, and I'd steal a cow" (33).
"Hrothgar met with his council for many nights and days, and they drank and talked and prayed to their curious carved-out creatures and finally came to a decision" (39).
"Inspired by winds (or whatever you please), the old man sang of a glorious meadhall whose light would shine to the ends of the ragged world" (47).
"The night air was filled with the smell of apples and shocked grain, and I could hear the noise in the meadhall from a mile away. I moved toward it, drawn as always, as if by some kind of curse" (76).
"The meadhall seemed to stretch for miles, out to the edges of time and space, and I saw myself killing them, on and on and on, as if mechanically, without contest" (81).
"I stayed in the ruin, prowling where long-dead giants prowled, my heart aching to know what the strangers were doing now, up at the meadhall" (156).
Respond to whatever questions above you feel are relevant, as well as with any other questions you may have about the meadhall and other quotations you found interesting!