how is your understanding and attitude impacted when beowulf's fight against grendel is describes from grendel's point of view

Question

how is your understanding and attitude impacted when beowulf's fight against Grendel is described from Grendel's point of view.

Answer 1

This question is asking you to think deeply about not only the text but also about your own reaction to it. Since it asks you to explore your own understanding of the fight between Grendel and Beowulf through different perspectives, the first step I would suggest taking is going back to the original text of Beowulf. Read the fight from Beowulf's point of view and take in the details: what do you notice here? Is there a certain way that Grendel and Beowulf are being portrayed? Think about how you are being asked to perceive Grendel (is he a monster, do we pity him? hate him?) and Beowulf (is he a hero? If so, what makes him one? does he have any faults?). Ask questions like these, and as you read, write down the answers. Try to also think about how the passage made you feel on a general level. Then do all these things when you read the fight through Grendel's perspective. Compare your answers and write about how the same fight and the same actions, can be described differently through different perspectives. 

 

Hope this helps! Beowulf is a beautiful, but complex poem. If you are struggling through it, keep in mind that you're not alone. The greatest scholars of our day still debate about the poem's meaning and characters. 

 

-Kelly