Grendel | Characters
Gardner's novel reverses the narrative pattern of the Anglo-Saxon epic upon which it is based. In the epic, Grendel is a shadowy figure, malevolent and evil, whose motives or even intentions are not developed. Beowulf is the central character, the hero who restores the values of mead-hall civilization by ridding Hrothgar's kingdom of its predators, first Grendel and then his dam. The final section of the epic, however, tells the story of Beowulf's final battle with a dragon that preys upon his kingdom. The central theme of the epic is therefore a tragic one. The hero's courage and...
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