Grendel's Villiany

Beowulf's Grendel is a monster who repeatedly attacks Herot in a murderous rage. Since you have read Gardner's Grendel, however, you should be approaching Grendel's "monstrosity" with an altered perspective. Is Grendel a monster who mindlessly destroys Herot and its courageous warriors, or is he simply a misunderstood and unloved creature searching for approbation?

The Values of a Hero

Beowulf is the archetypal epic hero -- he is the embodiment of the Anglo-Saxon ideals of bravery, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. Today we have our own brand of heroes. A firefighter, a Holocaust survivor, a mother are merely a few examples of today's heroes. One could argue that these heroes are the embodiment of our societal values. Do you think, however, that societal values determine heroes, or is it our heroes who determine societal values?