Grendel
Morgan 1
Makayla Morgan
Mrs Breon
Dual Credit English
16 February 2015
Grendel
The figurative language and imagery found in
Beowulf
elaborately depict a tale of heroism and fate, complete with allusions, foreshadowing, alliterations, metaphors, and the like. Many of these literary devices are woven through Grendel’s place in the story, describing him as Cain’s spawn and giving life to his anger.
The author allows the reader to experience the terror that men in the mead hall felt when Grendel claimed the lives of those among them. Beowulf is drawn together with great thought and skill, making scenes like these unlike any other in their realistic nature. The figurative language and imagery in
Beowulf
give the reader a colorful portrayal of an action filled epic, allowing each audience member to experience their own journey with a hero.
Grendel’s mere existence is crafted with deep thought toward the origin of mythical creatures, giving a fascinating theory on the subject in relation to a classic biblical tale. In the fourth chapter of Genesis, we enter on Cain and Abel. Abel provided the Lord with the firstborn sheep of his flock while Cain provided the Lord with fruits of the soil. When the Lord was displeased with Cain’s gift, he murdered his brother in envy. “Cain got no good from committing that murder because the Almighty made him anathema and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves and evil phantoms and giants too” (The Norton Anthology of English
Literature 36). The author intertwines fantasy with spirituality, giving a colorful new perspective and afterword on Cain’s tale. The allusion also introduces an interesting comparison between Grendel and his ‘father’.
Grendel is angered when men gather in the mead hall without him, particularly when the men show approval of
Morgan 2 one another's company in the volume of their voices. Just as Cain attacked his brother in envy of the Lord’s
approval,
Makayla Morgan
Mrs Breon
Dual Credit English
16 February 2015
Grendel
The figurative language and imagery found in
Beowulf
elaborately depict a tale of heroism and fate, complete with allusions, foreshadowing, alliterations, metaphors, and the like. Many of these literary devices are woven through Grendel’s place in the story, describing him as Cain’s spawn and giving life to his anger.
The author allows the reader to experience the terror that men in the mead hall felt when Grendel claimed the lives of those among them. Beowulf is drawn together with great thought and skill, making scenes like these unlike any other in their realistic nature. The figurative language and imagery in
Beowulf
give the reader a colorful portrayal of an action filled epic, allowing each audience member to experience their own journey with a hero.
Grendel’s mere existence is crafted with deep thought toward the origin of mythical creatures, giving a fascinating theory on the subject in relation to a classic biblical tale. In the fourth chapter of Genesis, we enter on Cain and Abel. Abel provided the Lord with the firstborn sheep of his flock while Cain provided the Lord with fruits of the soil. When the Lord was displeased with Cain’s gift, he murdered his brother in envy. “Cain got no good from committing that murder because the Almighty made him anathema and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves and evil phantoms and giants too” (The Norton Anthology of English
Literature 36). The author intertwines fantasy with spirituality, giving a colorful new perspective and afterword on Cain’s tale. The allusion also introduces an interesting comparison between Grendel and his ‘father’.
Grendel is angered when men gather in the mead hall without him, particularly when the men show approval of
Morgan 2 one another's company in the volume of their voices. Just as Cain attacked his brother in envy of the Lord’s
approval,