So anyway, after I got over my extreme disappointment, I realized that this poem is actually really cool. My high school friends were totally wrong about it being boring. I do have to say that the old English references are a little rough and the fact that I have to keep checking the footnotes gets a little frustrating, but once you get past that aspect of it, the poem is really interesting. I, of course, got super into it when Grendel was introduced.
The history of Beowulf was cool and everything, but when I started to read about a "fiend from hell" (101) that was "grim and ravenous" (121) my interest was piqued. Of course, at the end of our reading it appears as though Grendel is defeated...
Would it be wrong for me to hope that this isn't the case? Aside from Beowulf himself, I think Grendel is one of the coolest characters in the poem. I'm kind of rooting for him, but of course, I have to say that I hope Beowulf comes out on top. I guess I'm just going to have to be patient and see what happens next!
Unfortunately, I can relate to the disappointment over Beowulf's character. I read the poem back in 9th grade, and if I'm remembering correctly, we watched parts of the movie too, and they didn't even cast a cute guy to fill his role. What the heck? He's honestly so uninteresting (even though his name is dope).
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Grendel's characterization is far more exciting than anyone else's. The first pictoral interpretation of Grendel you included in your post is similar to the Grendel I imagine, expect my version looks less like a devil and more like a green Cousin It from the Adam's family...not sure why my mind did that.
-Amanda :~)
I'm rooting for Grendel too! I know that he is supposed to be a horrible demon person but I almost kind of see him as the underdog. When we were in class talking about how he was similar to The Grinch, all I could think about was how the Grinch became the Grinch because he was bullied (at least in the movie). Maybe there was some turning point in Grendel's life that made him the way he was but I don't know if that will be revealed in the story. Now that I know his mom will be introduced sometime in the story, maybe she had something to do with how Grendel turned out.
ReplyDeleteIm also a Grendel supporter, just because i feel like everybody reacts to their situations in life differently but that doesnt make them horrible. He is pictured has this horrible monster (in which he is because he eats people) but he has his reasons! Im not saying it is acceptable and he has every right to live, but I feel like someone should take the time to figure out why he is the way he is? Also, I agree he is one of the cooler characters in the book just because we see his flaws and he isnt made out to be basically perfect. Beowulf's character to me is kind of basic like other hero characters we see throughout books.
ReplyDeleteI find the idea of Beowulf literally being a wolf rather amusing. As a younger person I had certainly made that association with his name as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing that we are at least given a few monsters (Grendel being the first) to make up for the lack of fur and teeth in Beowulf's physical appearance. Unfortunately, Grendel does not last very long as Beowulf, being the hero that he is, defeats the monster early on in the poem. That being said, look forward to the description of Grendel's mother and other beasts that Beowulf will have to face in the rest of the epic!