- Post 1 (Angela): I’m afraid I have to disagree with Angela’s post about Grendel for several reasons. Grendel is not a one-dimensional monster in “Beowulf” because he has a range of emotions that the readers see. For instance, it is evident when he is afraid, angry, and in pain, which makes him a comparatively complicated character. Grendel can also relate to humans, as evidenced by his interactions with the dragon and Hrothgar (“Beowulf” n.p.). The division between humans and monsters is not as straightforward as this post emphasizes. In addition, Grendel is not simply the victim of humans because he is responsible for his actions. He could have chosen to leave the mead hall when it became clear that the humans found his presence undesirable. He also could have chosen not to kill humans, even though they had insulted him. Grendel is not entirely innocent, and the readers cannot feel sympathy towards him if they ignore his responsibility for the downfall.
- Post 4 (Jasmine): Grendel is not the only one who suffers in this story because Beowulf, the main protagonist of the text, endures more pain after being wounded by Grendel’s mother. The humans in the mead hall also suffer when Grendel attacks them, which means that everyone in this story suffers, and no one is entirely innocent. Therefore, it is not fair to say that Grendel is more sympathetic than anyone else in the story.
- Response to the board in general: The fact that Grendel is alone does not make him sympathetic because it is normal for a monster. He is different from humans, he cannot relate to them, and he is responsible for the deaths of many humans. These issues make it difficult to feel sympathy toward Grendel regardless of his loneliness.
Work Cited
Beowulf, translated by L. Hall, e-book, The Project Gutenberg, 2021.
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