Grendel by John Gardner
Chapter 1
1. Why is Grendel so angry?
2. Why does Grendel feel that what he is doing is pointless?
3. How would you rate Grendel's intelligence?
4. How does Grendel view himself physically and psychologically?
5. Grendel says that he used to be proud that everything in the world was afraid of him.
Why is he no longer proud of that?
6. On page 11, Grendel says (jokingly) that his mother must have some human in her;
why does he say that? What does this tell us about his “morality”?
7. On page 13, there seems to be a message from the author about religion; what is it?
8. What is dogmatism? Why does Grendel use that word on page 14?
Grendel by John Gardner
Chapter 2
1. In the flashback at the beginning of Chapter 2, what is it that we find out the firesnakes
are guarding?
2. What does Grendel think about his childhood and what he used to do as a child?
3. Grendel talks as though he is a totally different creature from who he was as a child.
What is it that has changed about him?
4. Compare your impression of Grendel in Chapter 1 to your impression of him in
Chapter 2.
5. On pages 21-22, Grendel, in his agony, comes to a realization about his existence and
the world; what is it?
6. Describe Grendel's first encounter with man.
7. Explain the process by which Grendel and men become enemies.
8. On page 29, what does Grendel mean when he says, "Then I am not that which
observes..."?
Grendel by John Gardner
Chapter 3
1. Why does Grendel say he has decided he must destroy Hrothgar?
2. Describe how Grendel observes man beginning to settle their villages. How does he
feel about it?
3. Give some of the details of how men battle as Grendel gives it to us.
4. Grendel simplifies the development of the civilization of man in Chapter 3; give some
details of his summary.
5. What is the biggest problem the humans had in acquiring land and settling villages, and
what did they do to solve that problem?
6. Describe how Hrothgar establishes such a powerful kingdom.
7. Compare the poem on pages 41-42 to the beginning of the Beowulf poem in our book.
How much of the original poem has he taken and how convincing is he in his attempt to
show us that his is the original?
8. Why is the new scop, the blind man, different than all other scops? What effect does he
have on Grendel?
9. What characteristic does Grendel discover about himself from listening to the scop?
Grendel by John Gardner
Chapter 4
1. Explain the play on the words “morality” and “mortality” on page 47.
2. What does Grendel take complete credit for in the beginning of Chapter 4?
3. What hypocritical aspect does Grendel note in human beings?
4. What is Grendel's moral dilemma?
5. On page 50, Grendel talks about "it" following him; what is "it?"
6. Quote at least part of the paragraph where we find out that Grendel is a descendent of
Cain.
7. How does Grendel feel about hearing that story?
8. Explain Grendel's version of his first visit to Heorot.
9. Grendel makes a prediction about Hrothgar's sons and grandsons in regard to
Hrothgar's legacy; what is it?
10. Grendel makes a decision to take revenge on man. Why? What is he going to do?
Grendel by John Gardner
Chapter 5
1. Describe the Dragon and his cave.
2. What is Grendel's impression of the Dragon?
3. In listening to the dragon, Grendel realizes he feels some guilt about what?
4. Give a few examples of humor in the chapter with the dragon.
5. What are some of the things the dragon advises Grendel to do and be?
6. Explain how the dragon sums up man's existence and the purpose of it.
7. Why has Grendel gone to the dragon?
8. What might the dragon symbolize?
9. Compare our definition of existentialism with the dragon's analysis of existence--the
essence of life.
10. Explain the dragon's speech that begins with, "Put it this way..." (page 69).
11. How does the dragon analyze Grendel's recent behavior and rationalize it?
12. Define the differences in opinion of Grendel and the dragon. How does their
argument end?