Grendel by John Gardner is a parody based on the epic, Beowulf. It is a mocking imitation of Beowulf and completely changes the reader’s opinion of Beowulf and Grendel as well as portrays the world of philosophy as opposed to the world of Beowulf. In Beowulf, Grendel is made out to be the ultimate villain, bent on destroying Herot and eating all of its inhabitants. However, in Grendel, Grendel is a thinking-being that is striving to be accepted into Anglo-Saxon society. Gardner writes Grendel in such a way that its readers cannot help but pity the beast and its delusional conversation with the Dragon that resides in his imagination. Beowulf, on the other hand, paints a grotesque portrait of Grendel and his yearly raids of Herot, with no sign of sympathy towards Grendel, the eternally damned.
Likewise, in Beowulf, Beowulf is depicted as the hero who saves Herot from the evil of Grendel. It is written that he slays Grendel, and happily ever after for Herot and Hrothgar. On the other hand, in Grendel, Beowulf seemingly defeats Grendel with his words of pity and it is thought that he released Grendel from the pain of his lonely existence. Grendel, by changing the way characters and events are viewed, is a parody of Beowulf, both mocking and admiring the literary piece.
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