Grendel
Study Guide
Student Copy
Chapter 1
Vocabulary
sycophant - a person who tries to gain favor by flattering people
chasm - a deep cleft, abyss
fuliginous - full of smoke, sooty
thanes - landowners, noblemen
hoarfrost - white frost, frozen dew on the ground
dirge - a funeral hymn, a song or poem of grief
dogmatism - the arrogant assertion of an opinion without proof or evidence
1. In the epic poem Beowulf, the monster Grendel is depicted as an evil being without
human qualities. What evidence is there in this first chapter that the monster Grendel
in this novel has emotions and feelings?
Use the following excerpt from the story to answer questions 2 and 3.
“It is true, perhaps, that I feel some trifling dislike of deer, but no more dislike than I
feel for other natural things–discounting men. 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. Except men, of course. I am not in a mood, just yet, to talk of men.” (Pg. 8)
2. What difference does Grendel observe between men and the other animals? In what
way are they alike?
3. Grendel talks about killing cows because they are in pens and easy to catch. He also
mentions killing an old woman with irongray hair. Both incidents are told in a matteroffact tone. How does the above passage help to clarify for the reader Grendel’s
seemingly murderous behavior?
4. Briefly describe Grendel’s physical appearance and his home. What does the following
passage imply about the length of Grendel’s life?
“The uproar is only my own shriek, and chasms are, like all things vast, inanimate.
They will not snatch me in a thousand years, unless, in a lunatic fit of religion, I
jump.” (Pg. 10)
5. How does Grendel describe his mother? How does he feel about her?
6. Why has Grendel been waging war on the humans for nearly twelve years?
Use the following excerpt to answer question 7.
“The song swells, pushes through woods and sky, and they’re singing now as if by
some lunatic theory they had won. I shake with rage. The red sun blinds me, churns
up my belly to nausea, and the heat thrown out of the bone-fire burns my skin. I
cringe, clawing my flesh, and flee for home.” (Pg. 14)
7. Some critics believe Grendel embodies evil, but that he is pushed into becoming evil by
circumstances. Why do you suppose the singing at the funeral fire enrages Grendel?
How could this singing be pushing Grendel toward evil?
Chapter 2
Vocabulary
degenerate - the passing from a good state to a progressively worse state
putrefaction - decomposition of organic matter
inviolable - not able to be ruined; intact
enmity - hostility, antagonism
anarchistic - lawless,
pungent - sharp sensation
nihilism - a philosophy that denies the existence of knowledge or truth; a belief in nothingness,
that nothing beyond the individual exists
pessimism - the belief that the existing world is the worst possible
1. “I lived those years, as do all young things, in a spell. Like a puppy nipping, playfully
growling preparing for battle with wolves.” (Pg. 16) What spell is Grendel referring to
in this passage? How is it broken?
2. After his encounter with the bull Grendel says, “I understood that the world was nothing:
a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our
hopes and fears. I understood that, finally and absolutely, I alone exist.” (Pgs. 21- 22)
In what ways do you think Grendel’s attitude about the world might contribute to
pushing him toward evil?
3. Why does Grendel consider the men to be the “most dangerous things I’d ever met”?
(Pg. 27)
4. Use the following definition of existentialism to prove or disprove that Grendel is an
existentialist:
Existentialism - a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the
individual who must deal with a hostile or indifferent universe. It regards human
existence as unexplainable.
Chapter 3
Vocabulary
gewgaw - a pretty or showy thing of little value
mead - an alcoholic drink
ominous - evil, threatening, sinister
obscure - dark, dim, not easily understood
recompense - to repay, reward
apocalyptic - world-ending
mere - marsh, swamp
1. Why do you suppose Grendel has a “stupid need to spy on them [the bands of men]”?
(Pg. 33)
2. What is the function of the Shaper in the meadhall? Why do you suppose he is called
the Shaper?
3. Grendel is sickened by the results of the battle between two bands of men. “I was
sickened, if only at the waste of it: all they killed–cows, horses, men–they left to rot or
burn. I sacked all I could and tried to store it.…” (Pg. 36)
In what way might Grendel consider himself morally superior to men at this point in
the story?
4. Hrothgar eventually becomes the strongest leader and manages to build a kingdom for
himself. Briefly outline Hrothgar’s strategy.
5. Why is the king of the Shapers welcomed into Hrothgar’s hall?
6. For what reasons is Grendel upset by the king of the Shapers’ words?
7. Identify the following two literary terms: “The man had…torn up the past by its thick,
gnarled roots…” (Pg. 43) “…the stars overheard were alive with the promise of
Hrothgar’s vast power…” (Pg. 44)
Chapter 4
Vocabulary
victualers - providers of food
petulant - irritable
intimation - hint
1. Some critics believe the Shaper’s words are the seeds of Christianity. He is saying that
it is acceptable to want fame and rewards in life, but man must also exhibit morality,
forgiveness, and love. Find a passage in this chapter to support this belief.
2. In the epic poem Beowulf, the monster Grendel is the symbol of evil, disorder, and
chaos and can never be converted to good. The Grendel of the poem is purportedly a
descendant of Cain, who is being punished by God for killing his brother. What
evidence is there in this chapter that Gardner’s Grendel is also a doomed descendant of
Cain? In your opinion, is the Grendel in this story also so evil that he cannot be
converted to good?
3. Why does Grendel believe Hrothgar’s dream that he could one day pass his kingdom
on to his sons and his sons’ sons is doomed?
4. “Woe to the man…who shall through wicked hostilities shove his soul down into the
fire’s hug! Let him hope for no change: he can never turn away! But lucky the man
who, after his deathday, shall seek the Prince, find peace in his father’s embrace!” (Pg.
54)
What hope is the Shaper singing about in the passage above? Why do you think this
hope enrages Grendel?
Chapter 5
Vocabulary
undulant - waving
debauched - corrupted
ignoramus - an ignorant person
supplicant - one who petitions, entreats, or implores
intercession - the act of mediating
monistic - a philosophy that states that reality is an organic whole without any separate parts;
only one Supreme Being
immanence - the belief that God is present throughout the universe
infinitude - infinity, the quality of being limitless
irascible - easily provoked to anger
existents - having existence, in the present, immediate
credulity - belief; without doubt
sine qua non - a Latin phrase meaning “the essential part”
nonce-rule - a rule made for one particular occasion
fontanel - the soft spot on a baby’s head
dictum - a formal pronouncement
1. Briefly describe the dragon and his surroundings.
2. Why does Grendel decide to stay hidden from the humans in the future?
3. In what way is the dragon’s mind different from Grendel’s and the minds of the
humans?
4. What does the dragon tell Grendel about free will?
5. In the dragon’s opinion, what does the Shaper do for the humans?
6. In the poem Beowulf, the hero kills the dragon. Find an excerpt from this chapter that
refers to this event, which has yet to take place.
7. What literary term is used in the following quotation from the dragon? “ ‘It has
happened…in the future, (Pg. 71)
8. The dragon tells Grendel, “Things come and go,…That’s the gist of it. In a billion
billion billion years, everything will have come and gone several times, in various
forms.” (Pg. 70) He continues to say that “man’s cunning mind” is “[m]erely a new
complexity, a new event…” (Pg. 71) What is the dragon telling Grendel about
mankind’s importance in the universe?
9. In what way does the dragon believe Grendel improves man? How does the dragon
disparage the world’s advances?
10. What one word might be used to sum up the dragon’s views on the meaning of life?
What advice does the dragon give Grendel on how to live his life?
11. Find the allusion to a prayer for the dead on page 73.
Chapter 6
Vocabulary
futility - uselessness
swinish - like pigs, gross, hoggish, brutal
bumptious - conceited
brume - mist, fog
1. What is the charm the dragon puts on Grendel? How does Grendel feel about this
charm?
2. What does the Shaper sing about in this chapter that enrages Grendel?
3. In what way is Grendel “born again” when he savagely attacks the meadhall?
4. What is an epic hero and how does Unferth measure up to one?
5. In the following speech Grendel sarcastically mocks Unferth.
“I’ve never seen a live hero before. I thought they were only in poetry. Ah, ah, it must
be a terrible burden, though, being a hero–glory reaper, harvester of monsters!
Everybody always watching you, weighing you, seeing if you’re still heroic. You know
how it is–he he! Sooner or later the harvest virgin will make her mistake in the
haystack.” (Pg. 84)
What is Grendel referring to when he talks about the harvest virgin?
6. Find a passage in this chapter which expresses Unferth’s definition of a hero.
7. At the end of this chapter, Grendel is pleased with the way he has humiliated Unferth.
He says, “So much for heroism. So much for the harvest-virgin. So much, also, for the
alternative visions of blind old poets and dragons.” (Pg. 90) What does this passage
suggest concerning Grendel’s true motives for humiliating Unferth?
Chapter 7
Vocabulary
portent - omen or warning
torus - nearly a circle
byrnie - a coat of chain mail used in the Middle Ages
chilblains - sores caused by the cold
1. Why does Grendel refrain from killing all of the men in the meadhall? What does he
mean when he says “Form is function”? (Pg. 91)
2. “There is no limit to desire but desire’s needs. (Grendel’s law.)” (Pg. 93)
What is the limit to Grendel’s desire?
3. What is the “ultimate act of nihilism” that Grendel has so far avoided committing? (Pg.
93)
4. When does Grendel first see the queen? How does he feel about her?
5. In what way does Grendel compare his mother to Wealtheow?
6. How is Grendel’s decision not to kill the queen an example of his philosophy?
Chapter 8
Vocabulary
brachiating - having arms
soughing - a murmuring sighing sound
transvaluation - evaluation by a new principle which rejects conventional standards
transmogrified - transformed or changed completely
impute - to attribute to another, usually something evil or criminal
1. Grendel makes up a poem about the arrival of Hrothulf at Hart, which refers to the
king’s orphaned nephew. In this poem, the Shaper tells the boy, “ ‘By deeds worth
praise/a man can, in any kingdom, prosper!’ ” Grendel then writes the following
“theorum” [sic]:
“Any action (A) of the human heart/must trigger an equal and opposite reaction. (A1).
(Pg. 113) What is Grendel implying about Hrothulf with this theorem?
2. Describe the nephew’s counselor. In what ways is he similar to the dragon? What do
you think his name and his hair might represent in the story?
3. In the counselor’s opinion, what does a kingdom pretend to do? What does it really
do?
4. What is the counselor’s opinion on governments in general?
5. What historical incidents might Red Horse be referring to in his description of police
and military intervention “in a time of domestic or foreign crisis”? Consider when
Grendel was written.
6. Hrothgar feels trapped by his nephew. He knows Hrothulf is planning a revolution and
is a danger to his [Hrothgar ‘s] sons, but Hrothgar can not abandon Hrothulf. List four
more traps Grendel believes Hrothgar worries about while sitting on this throne.
7. Analyze Hrothgar’s dream. What do you think the twisted tree trunk might represent?
Chapter 9
Vocabulary
hart - a deer
obsequious - excessively willing to serve, overly submissive
stalactite - a icicle-shaped cone of lime attached to a cave roof
inchoate - rudimentary
concrescence - the act of growing or increasing
ossified - converted to bone
nether - below, under; in a lower place
1. What are the children in the village doing when Grendel passes through?
2. Why is Grendel disturbed by the death of the hart?
3. What evidence is there in this chapter that the people are moving away from the belief
in many gods toward Christianity and the believe in one God?
4. List three bits of wisdom the old priest relates to Grendel about the King of Gods.
5. Read the following except from the conversation between the old priest and Grendel.
The priest tells Grendel his definition of the Ultimate Evil. Read and consider these
passages and then rewrite them in your own words.
“The ultimate evil is that Time is perpetual perishing, and being actual involves
elimination.” (Pg. 132) “ ‘Things fade and Alternatives exclude.’ ” (Pg. 133)
6. In your own words relate the priest’s definition of Ultimate Wisdom?
7. Describe the fourth priest’s reaction to the old priest’s story about having a
conversation with The Destroyer.
8. Why do you think Grendel is uneasy at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 10
Vocabulary
scree - a stone; the accumulation of pebbles at the base of a slope
omnipotence - unlimited power
1. The story of the goat stupidly climbing the mountain despite Grendel’s attempts to stop
it is a metaphor. What do you think the goat might represent?
2. How does Grendel feel after the Shaper dies?
3. Briefly relate Grendel’s observations about time and why he believes that “One evil
deed missed is a loss for all eternity.” (Pg. 146)
4. How does Grendel feel about his mother at this point in the novel? How does she feel
about him?
Chapter 11
Vocabulary
lineage - ancestry
stalagmite - a conical buildup on the floor of a cave
1. Why do you think Grendel is “mad with joy” because strangers have come?
2. Describe the leader of the strangers. What evidence is there that this unnamed
stranger is Beowulf? What literary term is used in the description of Beowulf’s beard?
3. Grendel spends his life watching men. He thinks they do mysterious things. Through
his observations, Grendel draws some conclusions. What does he conclude about the
way man schedules or orders his life?
4. What two parts does Grendel think the world is divided into? How will that affect
him?
5. The old priest told Grendel in Chapter 9 that the nature of evil is that “ ‘Things fade’
and ‘Alternatives exclude.’ ” (Pg. 133) The priest is referring to the fact that as the
universe changes, the creatures in it will fade from life, to be replaced by alternatives or
other lives. This is a natural process. Ultimate wisdom declares that nothing is ever
lost. The things that fade are not lost; they become part of the new order.
When the strangers appear, they challenge the priest’s beliefs because if they kill
Grendel they interfere with this process. How does this philosophy help to explain
why Grendel chooses to fight Beowulf rather than remain safe in his own cave?
6. The stranger tells the story of swimming in the ocean because of a bet with Breca.
State a generalization about life the stranger lives by and uses to sum up this
adventure.
7. What literary term is exemplified by Grendel’s comment on page 165: “He [Beowulf]
knew a doomed house when he saw it…”
Chapter 12
1. What evidence is there in the way Gardner describes the battle between Grendel and
the stranger that the stranger may be empowered by God?
2. Why does Grendel say that the stranger is able to defeat him only because of accidents?
3. Some critics believe that Grendel is killed more by the stranger’s words than by his
actions. Through the stranger’s words, Grendel comes to know that the philosophy of
the dragon that he has lived by is false. Grendel realizes that the mind of man has the
power to change reality. The Shaper’s songs of peace and happiness are visions of the
mind and can in time become reality. Do you agree with the critics? Cite passages
from the stranger’s words to Grendel that might support or refute this idea.
4. As Grendel is dying he asks, “Is it joy I feel?” (Pg. 173) Why do you suppose Grendel
might feel joy at his death?
5. How is it possible for Grendel to explain the story when, after all, he has been killed?