Journal #18

• What makes a character a villain? Think about villains in popular culture (Cruella DeVille, Darth Vader, The Joker, Wicked Witch of the West…) – what do popular villains have in common?

Grendel

Back to Old English…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E806VmFC8io

The villain of Beowulf

• Monster• Born of evil• Terrorizes Hrothgar’s hall• Murders Hrothgar’s men• “Mankind’s enemy”

But is he really a villain…?

History of “Grendel”

• The main monster in the story of Beowulf is Grendel. That is capitalized as though it is a proper name like Fido or Black Beauty, but it was a species of serpent. People spoke of grendels pond or grendels pit or grendels wood, naming them according to where they lived. Grendel in the story was a grendel because he lived in a large pond full of coarse ferns. He probably had a loud, deep-throated growl. There are hints that an ancient word “grindill” means to bellow, and a Middle English word “grindel” means angry.

Textual Differences

• “A powerful monster, living down in the darkness…”

• “So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes…”

• “Let them beware…”

• “Then a fierce evil demon suffered distress, long in torment…”

• “Thus again and again, this foe of mankind…”

• “Woe be to the one…”

Homework Assignment!