Question

These passages from Beowulf and Grendel describe feasts in Hrothgar’s hall. Write three to four sentences comparing and contrasting how the people are characterized in each passage. Use details from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

Answer:

"Beowulf" presents the men as happy, rejoicing in the praises of their leader through the minstrel's song while Grendel presents a more horrific and extreme behavior of the men in the mead hall.

Explanation:

The epic narrative "Beowulf" by Seamus Heaney tells the story of the hero Beowulf and his actions, saving his people and the Danes from the menacing Grendel and his mother. On the other hand, the narrative of the same story but from a different perspective, "Grendel" by John Gardner tells the story from the monster's side. This presents a 'voice' for the monster greatly evaded and feared by the people.

Heaney's text presents the men in the mead hall as calm and rejoicing, enjoying the party and satisfied with the praises of their leader. They were proud of their king's greatness and greatly accepts the exultations, happy with the song sung by the minstrel.

On the other hand, Gardner's version presents the men as wild and "howling and clapping and stomping of men gone mad on art", driven out of control by the minstrel's songs of praise of their leader. He concludes that they are "a fire more dread than any visible fire".