Beowulf Give a Detailed Description

Beowulf Give a detailed description of two main characters. Include a psychological profile as well as a social and physical one. (Not Beowulf) Grendel: Grendel is one of the most compelling characters of Beowulf's tale, to the point that Beowulf's other struggles, such as the warrior's slaying of the dragon and Beowulf's final death scene, are often forgotten by contemporary readers of the epic poem. Grendel is a shadowy figure, a beast living on the outside of human society.

Grendel is said to have the mark of Cain, the first murderer upon him. What is so frightening about Grendel is that he seems to kill for no reason. Like Cain, his murderous behavior is malicious and is turned against the good and the innocent. However, on closer analysis, there does seem to be a reason for Grendel's behavior. Grendel turns against the thanes when they are celebrating in the great hall.

Grendel hates humanity the most when it is celebrating all of the things Grendel's monstrous life seems to lack, namely love and kindness, and a sense of mutual obligation to others and togetherness. Cain cast himself out of human society by becoming a murderer, hence the idea of the mark of Cain making one an outcast, and a wanderer, rather than an integral part of a functioning society. Grendel's solitude is what marks him as a descendent of Cain, not his ugliness and bestial appearance.

Grendel's mother: However, Grendel is not entirely alone. Perhaps the one redeeming feature of Grendel is that someone does love him, namely his mother. Even the most shadowy and hideous inhabitants of society still have people to love them -- Grendel's even more hideous dam still cares about her son.

The narrator almost seems sympathetic to this mother's impulse to take vengeance for her son, for how could a mother not feel anything but love for her child, even if her murderous rage turns her against the tale's protagonist? Social obligations, even amongst the marginal, are so powerful, and so respected by the tale's author or authors, that even Grendel's mother wins some grudging respect as she mourns her dead child. 2.

Explain the significance of both the hero Beowulf and the monsters Grendel and his mother to the people of the Middle Ages. Beowulf is an example of the perfect hero. He is selfless, in that he sacrifices his safety to save other people. He is also lonely, ironically as lonely as Grendel in his own way, as he waits for the monster he must kill alone in the hall.

However, Beowulf is also tied in a network of social obligations to his lord and king, as he only agrees to fight Grendel after obtaining permission from the king to embark upon his feats of valor. Later, when he becomes king himself his lords mourn him, as is their obligation to their beloved leader. The Middle Ages was an era where individuals were forced to depend upon one another in a series of social relationships and bonds that held society together.

The lord must honor his king with obedience and bravery just like the king must protect his lords. However, even in this society, showing kindness and chivalry towards others in a spirit of Christian altruism was also valued, especially if it could make one's reputation as a warrior, hence Beowulf's decision to risk his life to save the people of a foreign land and slay Grendel. Grendel is the.