Journal 8: Grendel as a Parody

Journal 8: Grendel as a Parody

                The novel Grendel, by John Gardner, has many aspects that allow it to be classified as a parody of Beowulf. A parody is a humorous imitation of style produced for comic effect. In the case of Grendel, this comic effect is created mainly through the use of the character Grendel. The imitation of the story line and characters, along with the stark contrast between the Grendel of Beowulf and the Grendel of Grendel are the main aspects that define Grendel as a Parody. Overall, Grendel is a Parody of Beowulf because it copies the style, story, and characters of Beowulf in such a way as to create a humorous contrast to Beowulf.

                In the two stories, Beowulf and Grendel, the character of Grendel is depicted in extremely different ways. In Beowulf, Grendel is an evil, horrendous, and murderous monster. Grendel terrorizes the Danes and is motivated, according to the Danes, by “his lust for evil.” He is a ruthless killer whose sole purpose is of revenge.  On the other hand, in Grendel, Grendel is depicted initially as a naïve young child and develops into a sort of intellectual as the story develops. Grendel is not simply a murderous and destructive monster, but one who is looking for his place in the world and who desperately wishes to communicate, especially with the humans. He spends a large portion of his time around humans to learn about them and their philosophies. Grendel only starts to attack the Danes once he is told by the Dragon that he is the Danes “brute existence,” and that he creates the religion and ideals of the Danes.  Unlike the motivations described by the Danes in Beowulf, in Grendel, Grendel is not motivated to attack the Danes for revenge but because he is following an ideal and philosophy imbued by the Dragon. Grendel believes that his attacks are necessary to the continuation of the religion and stories of the Danes. As can be seen, in Beowulf, Grendel is an evil and murderous creature while in Grendel, Grendel is simply a creature searching for his rightful place in the world; this obvious contrast between the two stories is what allows Grendel to be considered a parody of Beowulf.

                Another aspect of Grendel that allows the story to be considered a parody of Beowulf is the fact that the underlying storyline is essentially the same. Grendel starts out with and goes through the war that Grendel has had with the Danes for nearly “twelve years.” Unlike Beowulf though, Grendel is told from the point of view of Grendel and not from the point of view of the Danes. As a result, different motives for the actions in the story are given. These different motives are drastically different from the motives given by the Danes. Also, at the end of Grendel is the appearance of Beowulf and Grendel’s demise. Both stories have these events, but in Grendel, Grendel’s final death is seen in a completely different light as a result of the different point of view. Overall, the similar story line but different point of view between the two stories makes Grendel a parody of Beowulf.

                The story of Grendel has many aspects that clearly make it a parody of Beowulf. The extreme differences in the way that Grendel is depicted in either story, the similar story lines between the two stories, and the contrasting point of views are all aspects that contribute to making Grendel a parody. The similar story lines in combination with the contrasting views allow for comedic effect. Grendel is able to ridicule the depiction of Grendel in Beowulf by depicting Grendel as a naïve creature who is eager to learn. This stark contrast in character descriptions makes the description of Grendel in Beowulf seem ridiculous and thus creates a humorous effect. In conclusion, the similarities and differences between the two stories such as the similar story line but the different point of views are what make Grendel a parody of Beowulf.