Journal 5

The narrative of Grendel is a parody of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The novel Grendel parody’s the epic poem Beowulf by making an entirely new story out of it, in addition to containing some of the key element from the epic poem Beowulf. In the original poem of Beowulf, the antagonist, Grendel, plays a simple creature whose thoughts aren’t articulated and whose life is mysterious. However, in the book Grendel, Grendel plays the main character, and as a result, Grendel is perceived in a different way. For example, Grendel is seen only as feared villain in the poem Beowulf. Whereas, in the novel Grendel, Grendel, who is still seen as a villain to the public, is also portrayed as an intricate character that goes through various events, giving reason for his actions. Furthermore, Grendel’s expansion of knowledge and philosophical ideas are not expressed in Beowulf, only in Grendel. In Grendel, Grendel evolves as a character while going through various phases in life and philosophical views.