Grendel
by John Gardner
Chapter 1
1. When the ram will not move, what does Grendel throw at it? 5
2. How long has Grendel been involved in his “idiotic war”? 5
3. What question does Grendel ask the sky? 6
4. What does Grendel smell like? 6
5. Whose head had Grendel once torn off? 7
6. What three metaphors does Grendel use to describe himself: 7
7. What is Grendel’s “only friend and comfort this world affords”? 8
8. Describe Grendel’s home underground. 8-9
9. Of what is Grendel terrified? 10
10.What animal crosses Grendel’s path on his way to Hrothgar’s hall? 10
11.How does Grendel describe his own mother? 11
12.How does Grendel’s mother respond when he asks her why they live in this “putrid,
stinking hole”? 11
13.Who was not a friend to Grendel? 12
14.How long has Grendel been going to Hrothgar’s meadhall? 12
15.What makes Grendel laugh? 12
16.What is Grendel alone able to do in the dark? 12
17.What does Grendel do in the meadhall? 12
18.How does he feel afterward? 13
19.What does Grendel hear the people do after he leaves the meadhall? 13
20.Why do the men build a funeral pyre? 14
21.What do the men replace once again? 14
22.What do the men also throw in the fire? 14
23.How does Grendel react when he hears the men sing? 14
Chapter 2
24.What had Grendel done when he was young? 15
25.Why had Grendel thought the snakes were there? 16
26.What had Grendel discovered as a child? 16
27.What had Grendel seen on the shelves in his mother’s cave? 16
28.How had Grendel felt when his mother looked at him? 17
29.What accident had Grendel had? 18
30.What does Grendel do when this happens? 18
31.Who or what tries to hurt Grendel? 19-20
32.What makes Grendel laugh? 21
33.What does Grendel see for the first time on this night? 23
34.What do the men call Grendel? 24
35.About what are the men concerned? 24
36.What is the next thing the men decide Grendel is? 25
37.What do the men think Grendel eats? 26
38.What does Grendel do which makes the men think he is angry? 26
39.What does the king throw at Grendel? 27
40.How does Grendel respond? 27
41.Who rescues Grendel? How? 27-28
42.What had Grendel’s mother forgotten? 28
43.Complete Grendel’s quote: “The world _______________________ me and I resist the
world.” 28
44.What does Grendel’s mother do to him? 29
Chapter 3
45.When Grendel is full grown, what does he “settle his soul” to do? 30
46.When hunters from different bands come together in the forest, what do they do? 31
47.What do the men build on the crown of a hill? 31
48.What does Grendel do when the men get together and drink and eat? 32
49.According to Grendel, the men in their talk were more vicious than what animal? 32
50.What happens when trivial arguments break out with the men? 32
51.When Grendel meets men who have been banished to live alone in the forest, what
does he do? 33
52.What does Grendel discover when he finds a hall in ruins? 33-34
53.Who tells the men about the glorious deeds of dead kings? 34
54.What does Grendel see when the birds fall silent? 35
55.How does Grendel feel about what he witnesses the men do? 36
56.How does Grendel feel when he realizes that he must in some way be related to the
men he sees? 36
57.What do the surviving men do sometimes when a meadhall burned? 36
58.Which king begins to “outstrip the rest”? 37
59.To what do the men pray? 39
60.What do the men build which allows them to take over more tribes? 39
61.What causes the forest to “rumble”? 39
62.What description does Grendel use to describe the forest after the men hacked down
trees around their central halls and built peasant huts and pigpen fences? 40
63.With all of the destruction in the forest, with what is Grendel filled? 40
64.What does the blind harper do when he enters Hrothgar’s hall? 41
65.According to the blind harper, who had rebuilt the old Danish kingdom from ashes? 42
66.What “truth” does Grendel know about the men? 44
67.How does Grendel feel when he flees Hrothgar’s hall? Why? 44-45
Chapter 4
68.At the opening of chapter four, how long has the shaper been at Hrothgar’s hall? (Note:
how much older is the boy from when we first met him?) 47
69.What does Hrothgar decide to build? 47
70.For what will this building represent? 47
71.How does Grendel feel when he hears Hrothgar’s plans? 47
72.What does Grendel realize about the man he steps on by mistake? 50
73.According to the Shaper, who is the dark side -“the terrible race God cursed”? 51
74.What does Grendel say to the men when he walks toward the hall with his burden? 5152
75.What do the men do when Grendel approaches? 52
76.What does Grendel do and where does he later run? 52
77.Where had Grendel learned the profane words he utters? 52
78.What question does Grendel ask when he looks up to the sky and was half prepared to
see God? 53
79.According to Grendel, who is doomed? 53
80.What song is the Shaper singing when Grendel returns two nights later? 54
81.What does Grendel do? 54
82.Why is Grendel’s mother upset when Grendel returns home? 55
83.How does Grendel describe his mother when she was asleep? 56
Chapter 5
84.Describe the dragon’s home. 57
85.Why does the dragon tell Grendel to stand to his side and not in front of him? 58
86.What does the dragon do to Grendel’s head? What does this tell you about how the
dragon treats Grendel? 58
87.According to the dragon, what does Grendel look like when he is scared? 59
88.What does Grendel plan to do with the emerald before the dragon stops him? 60
89.What does the dragon tell Grendel not to touch? 60
90.Why does Grendel decide to stay away from the men? 60-61
91.What advice does the dragon give Grendel? 62
92.According to the dragon, low creatures can see only the past and the present. What can
the dragon do? 63
93.According to the dragon, how does the Shaper save the men? (What does he do with his
songs?) 65
94.Because Grendel is attentive and thoughtful, what does the dragon decide to tell him
about? 65
95.According to the dragon, what is the only thing that interests Grendel? 67
96.According to the dragon, who will snuff out life accidentally? 71
97.According to the dragon, how does Grendel improve men? 72
98.What does Grendel think of the dragon’s advice? 73
99.What is the dragon’s dictum (goal)? 73-74
Chapter 6
100. What does Grendel discover that the dragon had done to him? 75
101. What happens to Grendel’s heart? 76
102. What happens in the hall when a stick snaps behind Grendel and a dog barks? 77
103. What does Grendel do to the guard? 78-79
104. What does Grendel do three or four nights later? 79
105. How does Grendel feel after he does this? 80
106. Complete this quote: “I was Grendel, Ruiner of _____________________, Wrecker of
__________________. 80
107. What makes Grendel laugh? 81
108. Even though Grendel laughs, how does he really feel? 81
109. Who is the man who is taller than the others who challenges Grendel? 82
110. What does he say to Grendel? 82
111. What does Grendel say to this warrior? 83
112. What scent grows stronger in the air as Grendel teases the warrior? 84
113. What does Grendel throw at the warrior? 85
114. Where does Grendel see this warrior three nights later? 86
115. According to the warrior, what song will be sung year on year and age on age? 87
116. What word is beginning to grate on Grendel’s nerves? 89
117. What does Grendel finally do with the warrior? 90
118. Why does the warrior live with shame? 90
Chapter 7
119. What is Grendel’s law? 93
120. What blessings does Grendel have? 93
121. In the second year of Grendel’s raiding, what had a young king done? 94
122. What does the young king hold on a long chain? 97
123. What does the young king do with his sword? Why? 98
124. What does the young king offer Hrothgar as a gift (a human)? 100
125. What does this young woman do alone sometimes late at night? 105
126. Who guards the door next to where the queen slept? 109
127. What does Grendel do to the bear? 109
128. Who does Grendel decide to kill? 109
129. Why does Grendel change his mind? 110
130. Afterwards, who does Grendel decide to kill? (He then changes his mind once again.)
110
Chapter 8
131. Why does Hrothulf come to live with Hrothgar? How is he related to the king? 111
132. How old is Hrothulf? 112
133. Who becomes Hrothulf’s counselor? 116-117
134. What woman causes Hrothulf to blush when he sees her? 120
135. According to Hrothgar, who is a danger to his sons? 121
136. What two characteristics make up Grendel’s character? 123
Chapter 9
137. At the opening of chapter 9, what month is it? 125
138. How does Grendel feel when he believes that something strange is coming? 126
139. What image clings to Grendel’s mind? 127
140. What images stand near Hrothgar’s hall? 127
141. Who do the priests ask the Great Spirit to kill? 127
142. What is Grendel’s reaction when he hears this? 127
143. Instead of conviction in the old priest’s songs, what does Grendel detect? 128
144. What sits “on the stomach like duck eggs”? 129
145. What does Grendel call himself when he meets an old priest one night? 130
146. What does Grendel ask this person to tell about? 131
147. What do the other priests think about Ork when they rescue him one night? 133
148. Why don’t the dogs bark at Grendel? 136
Chapter 10
149. Who is ill? 139
150. Who or what does Grendel force off the hill? 140
151. What “lie” does the old woman tell the children? 142
152. Who comes to visit the Shaper at his deathbed? 142
153. What does Grendel see the old women put on the Shaper’s eyes? Why do they do
this? 145
154. How does Grendel feel when he sees this? 145
155. How does Grendel’s mother now act? 145-146
156. Complete this quote: “One ____________ deed missed is a loss for all eternity.” 146
157. Where does Grendel’s mother try to stop him from going? 147
158. Who does Grendel see standing with the children of Hrothgar and Wealtheow? 148
Chapter 11
159. Why is Grendel filled with joy? 151
160. Why does Grendel laugh when he sees the coastguard challenge the warriors? 153
161. What does Grendel realize about the face of one of the warriors? 154
162. According to their spokesman, who are the warriors and why have they come? 154155
163. How does Grendel feel when he sees the leader of the warriors? 155
164. According to Grendel, what would be wrong with him killing the last of the Scyldings?
158
165. According to Grendel, into what two parts is the world divided? 158
166. Why does Grendel think he must kill the stranger? 159
167. Who makes fun of the stranger by reminding him of his swimming contest with
Breca? 160
168. Who says to Unferth: “I don’t recall hearing any glorious deeds of yours, except that
you murdered your brothers. You’ll prowl the stalagmites of hell for that....” 162
169. Why does Unferth leave the room? 164
170. What do you think Grendel means at the end of chapter 11 when he says, “It is
time”? 166
Chapter 12
171. What are the men doing when Grendel enters the mead hall? 168
172. What does Grendel plan to do to the men? 168
173. What does Grendel do with the cloth on the table? 168
174. What does Grendel seize, only to realize that it is a mistake? 168
175. What happens next? 168
176. To whom does Grendel call for help? 170
177. What happens to Grendel’s arm? 172
178. Where does Grendel run? 173
179. Who watches Grendel die? 173
180. What are Grendel’s dying words? 174
Characters in Grendel-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grendel_(novel)
 Grendel - the main protagonist and self-described monster, given the narrator's voice
in the novel.
 Grendel's mother - another antagonist from Beowulf who lives in an underwater cave
with her son. Unlike her son, she is incapable of speech and holds no curiosity of the
world outside her cave.
 Beowulf - a Geatish hero who ultimately kills Grendel. He is never referred to by
name in the novel.
 Hrothgar - warrior and king of the Danes.
 The Shaper - a blind harpist and storyteller in Hrothgar’s court.
 The Shaper’s assistant - the young apprentice who replaces the Shaper upon his
death.
 Unferth - a Scylding warrior who challenges but fails to defeat Grendel.
 Wealtheow - queen of the Danes and wife to Hrothgar.
 Hrothulf - Hrothgar’s orphaned nephew.
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Freawaru - Hrothgar’s teenage daughter.
Hygmod - King of the Helmings and Wealtheow’s brother.
The dragon - an ancient, omniscient beast guarding a vast hoard of treasure to whom
Grendel goes for advice. It possibly is a figment of Grendel's imagination. It is also
possible the dragon was meant to be the same dragon that appeared in the epic
poem Beowulf.
Red Horse - Hrothulf’s elderly advisor.
Ork - an old and blind Scylding priest.
References to the Zodiac in Grendel
Aries (the Ram)
 “The old ram stands looking over rockslides” (5).
 “And so begins the twelfth year of my idiotic war” (5).
Taurus (the Bull)
 “Then some thirty feet away, there was a bull” (19).
 “On the ground, on two good feet, I would have been more than a match for the bull,
or if not, I could have outrun him” (20).
 “He snorted through his nose and paused more deeply, spattering grass and black
earth at his sharp rear hooves” (20).
 “The tree shuddered as he banged it with his skull, and he pivoted around it,
stumbling” (21).
Gemini (the Twins)
 “It was late spring...Every sheep and goat had their wobbly twins” (33).
 “What was he? 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, remember it his
way – and so did I.” (43).
Cancer (the Crab)
 “I backed away, crablike, further into darkness – like a crab retreating in pain when
you strike two stones at the mouth of his under-water den” (48).
Leo (the Lion)
 “Importance is primarily monistic in its reference to the universe, limited to a finite
individual occasion, ceases to be important” (?)
Virgo (The Virgin)
 “…in all the world men were free and heroes were brave and virgins were virgins”
(77).
 “You know how it is-he he! Sooner or later the harvest virgin will make her mistake
in the haystack” (84).
 “He was crying, only a boy, famous hero or not! A poor miserable virgin” (85).
Libra (the Scales/ Balance)
 “Balance is everything, riding out time like a helmless sheep-boat, keel to hell ward,
mast unprepared to prick out heaven’s eye” (91).
 “‘I offer you my sister’, the young king said. Let her name from now on be Welthow,
or holy servant of common good” (100).
 “Balance is everything, sliding down slime” (110).
Scorpio (the Scorpion)
 “And so – I watch in glee – they take in Hrothulf; quiet as the moon, sweet scorpion,
he sits between their two and cleans his knife” (113).
Sagittarius (the Archer)
 “The king of Gods is not concrete, but he is the ground for concrete actuality. No
reason can be given for the nature of God, but that nature is the nature for
rationality…” (114).
Capricorn (The Goat)
 “Hey, Goat!” I yell down. “There’s nothing here. Go back” (139).
 “He bleats, falling, flopping over with a jerk too quick for the eye, and bleats again,
scrambling, sliding toward the ledge-side” (140).
 “I snatch up a stone and hurl it. It smashes his mouth, spraying out teeth, and
penetrates to the jugular”(140).
 “Death shakes his body the way high wind shakes trees. He climbs toward me, I
snatch up a stone” (140)
Aquarius (the Water Bearer)
 “What are ye, bearers of armor, dressed in mail-coats, that have thus come riding
you tall ship over the sea-road, winter cold ocean, here to Daneland? Thus spake the
coastguard” (153).
 “I saw long ago the whole universe as not-my-mother, and I glimpsed my place in it, a
hole” (158).
Pisces (the fishes)
 “As you see it is, while the seeing lasts, dark nightmare-history, time-as-coffin; but
where the water was rigid there will be fish, and men will survive on their flesh till
spring” (170).