Misunderstood Monster Essay

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Misunderstood Monster The story of Grendel is the story of a monster misunderstood by his human neighbors. While animalistic and brutish in appearance, his mental faculties are on par, or even exceed, those of the humans. However, due to his appearance he is alienated from a human society that he wants nothing more than to be a part of. It is this unfounded hatred that Grendel must endure from the Danes that ultimately pushes him to question whether there is any meaning or order to life. When Grendel first encounter the Danes he is feared and hated, and then attacked, due to his animalistic appearance. The humans are unsure of what he is and only know that he is different from them, inhuman. However, from Grendel’s perspective he and the humans are the same mentally. Grendel represents the animalistic, physical side of human nature and the primal urges associated with this side of humanity. In persecuting Grendel the Danes are attempting to repress the animalistic sides of themselves in order to maintain stable society and culture. While initially Grendel was alienated due to his appearance, once he began his war the Danes shaped their perception of him in order to justify their hatred and disgust. When the Shaper tells the story of Cain and Abel he asserts that Grendel is a descendant of Cain, and thus forever cursed by God, while the Danes are descended from Abel, and inherently blessed. This Levi 2 evidences the importance the Danes place on a person’s lineage because the only thing separating the humans, the good, from Grendel, the evil, is their ancestry. Religious stories such as this represent another point of polarization between the Danes and Grendel, their ideals. The Danes, their Christianity clearly evident, believe in a higher purpose which shapes their actions and goals in life. However, evidence of their past pagan roots is shown in
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