Differences And Similarities Between Beowulf And Grendel

Though the characters Beowulf and Grendel share pages in both the Old English epic poem Beowulf and in the novel Grendel, it is in the contemplative glances away from the pages that the similarities come to an abrupt stop. When considering the traits of the characters Beowulf and Grendel, their idiosyncrasies and actions whittled down to analytical musings, it can easily be said that the two are polar opposites in every sense of the word. If Beowulf is the warrior, then Grendel is the coward; if Beowulf is the light to the darkness, then Grendel is the darkness to the light; if Beowulf is the hero, then Grendel is the antihero.
The Old English poem Beowulf portrays the character Beowulf as the epitome of Germanic heroism: Beowulf is a measured
However, Grendel is ambiguously described in Beowulf; the description of Grendel pales in comparison to the description attributed to Beowulf. In Beowulf, it is not recognized that without Grendel, Beowulf would fail to be a hero, as both partake in the precarious balance between villain and hero. In writing Grendel, author John Gardner was recognizing this fact, as well as the fact that Beowulf and Grendel were two sides of the same coin, a coin that has no merit with only one side. While Grendel in Beowulf is portrayed as a relatively static character and an “unsightly monster”, in Grendel he is a tragically misunderstood personality who is painstakingly developed with intricate nuances and qualities (Gardner, page
In Beowulf, Hrothgar, King of the Danes and a wise leader, is regarded with the same degree of reverence that is awarded Beowulf by the anynmous poet. However, in Grendel, Grendel regards Hrothgar as an imperfect king and flawed human with a realm “like a wobbly, lopsided wheel with spokes of stone” (Gardner, page 39). This difference in tone and point of view towards Hrothgar serves to shape the polarity between the two characters Grendel and Beowulf and establish the two sides of the