Grendel describes his childhood (Chapter 1)
· Would you expect a monster to behave the way this Grendel does? Why?
· In what ways does Grendel differ from the monster of Beowulf?
· How is he the same?
· What is Grendel interested in? Why is he interested in them? How does his interests tell you about what he is like?
· "But deer, like rabbits and bears and even men, can make, concerning my race, no delicate distinctions. That is their happiness: they see all life without observing it. They're buried in it like crabs in mud. (p. 3) This Grendel is a philosopher. What is he talking about? What are some of the possibilities?
· Gardner does not tell his story in a linear fashion. He jumps around in time. He goes from the past to future to present to past seemingly at random. What is he trying to tell us about causality and the nature of cause and effect and the nature of reality by doing this?
Grendel is trapped in a tree and has his first encounter with men. (Chapter 2)
· Who is the real monster? Why?
· What makes a person a monster?
· In what ways are both Grendel and the men both monsters?
Grendel describes the warfare between the Danes.(Chapter 3, pp. 25-34)
· What is warfare between the Danes like?
· What does Grendel have against Hrothgar?
· What kind of a person is Hrothgar?
Grendel describes the coming of the Shaper. (Chapter 3, pp. 35-38, Chapter 4)
· In a very real sense, the Shaper shapes not only songs but reality. "The man had changed the world, had torn up the past by its thick, gnarled roots and had transmuted it, and they, who knew the truth, remembered it his way--and so did I." (p.36)
· Speculate on how he could do this.
· The Shaper is one of the key figures in this book. What kind of a person is he? What is his position in this society?
· Why is Grendel so attracted to the Shaper?
· Why is Grendel so afraid of the Shaper?
Grendel meets with the dragon for the first time and sees the dragon's treasure.
(Chapter 5)
· Make a case for this dragon being much more dangerous and destructive than the dragon in Beowulf.
· Is the dragon real, a figment of Grendel's imagination, or a part of Grendel that he doesn't want to acknowledge? Support your answer.
· Describe the dragon.
· What is the true nature of the dragon? (pp.55-56)
· Which dragon would you rather deal with, this one or the dragon in Beowulf? Why?
Grendel goes to Herot and discovers that the dragon's charm protects him from weapons. He bites the head off of a Dane.(Chapter 6, pp. 65-70)
· What is the dragon's gift to Grendel? What do you think the consequences of this gift will be?
· If you were to get this gift, would it make any difference in you as a person? Would you live your life differently as a result? Would you be a better or a worse person?
· How does this charm change Grendel's life?
Unferth battles Grendel. (Chapter 6, pp. 70-78)
· What kind of a person is Unferth?
· How is he different from the Unferth in Beowulf?
· Why doesn't Grendel kill Unferth?
· Unferth fights Grendel and goes down into Grendel's cave. Can you make a case for him being a braver man than Beowulf?
Grendel ruminates on his raids on Herot. (Chapter 7, pp.79-86)
· "Balance is everything" (p.79) says Grendel. This is very much like the Greek ideal of the golden mean, where you deal with everything but deal with everything in moderation. How do you feel about Grendel's feeling of balance? Is Grendel in balance?If he isn't, why does he keep talking about it? Why does he go on and on about the need for balance? Is he unbalanced? Why?
· "Pity poor Hrothgar" (p. 79) Why should we feel pity for Hrothgar?
· "Pity poor Grendel" (p. 79) Why should we feel pity for Grendel?
· Is Grendel crazy? Why or why not?
· Compare Grendel's reviewing his past with Beowulf's review of his past just before Beowulf fights the dragon. Is it done for the same reason? What effects are achieved by each? Who do you sympathize with the most?
Wealtheow comes to Herot and Hrothgar. Grendel attacks her.(Chapter 7, pp. 86-95)
· What are the differences between the Wealtheow here and the Wealtheow of Beowulf?
· Who do you like better? Why?
· Why does Grendel attack Wealtheow?
· Why does he stop his attack?
· What can you infer about Grendel from this action?
Hrothgar and Wealtheow's life are described. (Chapter 8)
· Why do Hrothgar and Wealtheow get married?
· What kind of life do they have together?
· If you were in Wealtheow's position and you were told that your happiness was going to be sacrificed to prevent a war, would you go along with it?
· How far would you be willing to go to prevent harm to others?
· Why is Grendel so upset about the thought of Hrothgar marrying Wealtheow?
Grendel confronts the chief priest about the nature of God.(Chapter 9)
· Notice all the images of death at the beginning of this chapter. What is their purpose?
· "In the old days they used to kill virgins. Religion is sick." (p.111) How has society changed from the "old days"? Does the speaker think his society has changed for the better or worse? What do you think?
· Who is really "The Destroyer"?
· Authors seldom do things without a reason. what do you think the reason Gardner had for having things so fragmented at the beginning of this chapter? (Grendel is falling apart. it foreshadows Grendel's end.)
· What does the chief priest feel the nature of God and religion is?
· What does Grendel feel the nature of god and religion is?
· What do you feel is the nature of God and religion?
The Shaper dies. Grendel feels trapped in his cave with an insane mother. (Chapter 10)
· "Tedium (boredom) is the worst pain." Is this true? Why does Grendel say so?
· Does Grendel want to live? Does he feel he is living? Does he want to die? Have you ever felt this way? If you did, how would you handle it?
· Grendel seems to think that the Shaper shapes reality. What is the author implying when he has the Shaper die?
· How does Grendel handle the death of the Shaper?
· How could he or should he handle the Shaper's death?
Beowulf comes to Herot and tells of his past and his swimming contest with Brecca.
(Chapter 11)
· What is ironic about the strangers coming to Herot? (Grendel starts to feel alive again when t heir coming signals his coming death.)
· How does this Beowulf compare to the Beowulf of the epic poem?
· How do the two swimming contests compare?
· Which Unferth do you like better? Why?
Grendel attacks Beowulf in Herot. (Chapter 12)
· Who do you want to win this battle? Why?
· Why does Grendel say that he's had an accident?
· What is the meaning of the last line, "Poor Grendel's had an accident,...so may you all."?
· Which Grendel is the more fully developed character?
· Who is the more thoughtful and sensitive, Grendel or Beowulf?
· Is Grendel truly a monster?