Chapter four of “Grendel” is centered around the Shapers (bards) that Grendel observes in the mead hall and how they shape the history and politics of Hrothgar’s nation. The first instance of the shaper’s influence is when the he sings of a great mead hall, more glorious than any other. The king is then inspired to build another mead hall just as magnificent, so that he will bring fame to his name as his tale is sung by future shapers. The shaper also celebrates the glory of Hrothgar by singing of how he waged war against other nations, as if death and war were good things. His songs are able to convince the thanes of Hrothgar that Hrothgar is such a good king that they should all pledge to fight for him and show absolute loyalty. Seeing how previous dead men were honored for their loyalty in the songs, they strive to be just as willing to serve Hrothgar and to get him more riches. In this way, the Shaper is able to assist in the power of Hrothgar’s kingdom by making all warriors loyal to Hrothgar and willing to fight. When Grendel listens to the music of the harper he becomes swept up in joy and good feelings about Hrothgar and humans. But Grendel sees through the songs of the bard and understands that they are biased and altered. He understands that the Shapers are propaganda for Hrothgar because the king pays them to sing about his greatness and the strength of his nation. He does this in order to sway the minds of the people onto his own side. In spite of this, when the Shaper sings about the division of the world into dark and light, and describes creatures like Grendel as part of the dark side, Grendel is swayed by the music and believes himself to be one of the god-cursed monsters. Hearing this Grendel is overwhelmed and he cries. He approaches the humans in the mead hall, saying “Mercy! Peace!”, and “Friend! Friend!” (Gardner, 51-52) in an attempt to communicate with the humans. Unfortunately the drunken men attack Grendel with their weapons and drive him away. When Grendel returns two nights later, he hears the harper again telling a shifted version of the good deeds of men in wars and how they had valiantly fought off the evil Grendel. According to Grendel, the humans have changed the story in their songs into which they were victims of Grendel, whereas Grendel claims that he had tried to make peace with them in the first place. If Grendel is right, then it may be possible that not everything retold in the story of Beowulf is the exact truth, and like everything else it is altered by the shapers. -David
4. This Chapter really interested me. Grendel begins to build up the courage to get closer to the mead hall and try and listen in to the shaper as he tells his stories about the king and struggles between light and darkness. Again, Grendel’s large monster body fails him as he fall through the roof of the mead hall and begins to scare everyone in the hall and he is attacked and forced to flee. Grendel also learns some new vocabulary that I wouldn’t like to go into haha. I feel in this chapter, Grendel becomes even more conflicted because he thinks he can reason with these drunken men in this hall. It also doesn’t help that they can’t understand him. He then later (in my opinion,) begins to think like a shaper and find out how to bridge the gap between their two worlds. Hopefully, in the future Grendel can learn to keep away, because there isn’t reasoning with monsters. Especially monster with an ego the size of Grendel’s mother such as king Hrothgar. ~Ben Moseley
The shaper is a really important aspect of chapter 4 because the words that he sings are lies that are the truth to the people. He doses this to be on a good note with the king, praise and love. The only people that know that he is lying is Grendel, Hrothgar, and the Shaper him self. The rest of the people are feed with all the lies the Shaper sings. Once a lie is told it becomes the truth once people start to believe it. As Grendel likes to put it this is ridiculous. When the shaper starts to sing about Grendel being the evil part of the world he get really upset and sad. Its not that Grendel is an evil monster he is just not understood. For example when he goes to the meadhall to claim peace people right away assume that Grendel is attacking the hall because they cant understand what he is saying.
How many times have we heard someone say “I lost myself in the music”? We all have these small instances where a song communicates exactly what were are feeling. Back then, people, sharpers, would travel kingdom to kingdom and sing of stories of great heroes who triumphed, rich kings, and ghoulish monsters. The sharper in Hrothgar’s hall sang stories of the times past, stories of Hrothgar’s kingdom and how glorious it is. Grendel would often listen and observe these men in the mead hall and he often cursed the lyrics, saying they were ridiculous lies told to fool and flatter those who listened. Though these cunning lies were a way of controlling the men. Hearing the tales of greatness of strong and loyal heroes, made the drunken men in the hall strive to be like them. People are driven by gold and the idea of being remembered forever. So these sharpers were an amazing way of being able to discreetly control one’s citizens. With his poetic voice the sharper told great stories of light verses darkness. Describing the monstrous demons of the darkness, describing Grendel. Crying out in despair Grendel stumbles into the mead hall, having a second near death encounter with humans. Sharpers are a powerful tool for kings, making their kingdom stronger with a few words, making a king’s hellish history disappear, and lies seem true, sometimes even fooling Grendel.
As recently said in the last chapter, the man who “changed the world” is the Shaper because he shapes everything. He shapes the way everyone perceives Hrothgar by making him sound even more amazing and magnificent. He shapes history. He shapes the future. He shapes everything with his mesmerizing music, even if what he says are lies. The Shaper can make everything he says sound like nothing but the truth, he can even convince Grendel who has seen what the reality really is. In chapter four, the Shaper is very significant. At the beginning, Hrothgar is inspired by the Shaper’s song about a beautiful mead hall and decides to make one himself with the help of many others. Soon enough, he was able to create a glorious mead hall where he planned to gain power by giving treasures away. Grendel despises Hrothgar’s ways, but still enjoys the celebration of his supposed “goodness”. Grendel starts to wonder about the Shaper’s secret powers. One day as Grendel watches couples fawn over each other, he accidently steps on a man who has had his throat cut and clothes taken. As he is lifting the corpse, the Shaper begins to play his music and sings of how the world was created. He sings about the world being split between darkness and light, placing Grendel on the dark side. Grendel himself almost believes the words that the Shaper speaks of, but changes his mind because the man that he found was killed by one of his own men, which is proof of the division between man and monster. He becomes addicted to the Shaper’s music, even though he is angry with the words he says. Grendel has mixed feelings about how the Shaper places him, he is both pleased and bothered. Grendel knows that the Shaper’s words are practically all lies, but is still amazed by the beautiful stories he can create. All in all, the Shaper has the power to convince and persuade anyone to believe the words he speaks, even if that person is Grendel who knows the truth.
Grendel finds himself coming back to Heorot Hall over and over again in order to hear more of the Shaper’s tales. He knows in his heart that nothing that the Shaper says is true, all fabrications created to direct positive feelings towards Hrothgar from his listeners, but Grendel still finds his thoughts swayed by the convincing tune and words of the songs. He is conflicted, torn between the lies he is fed and the truth he has seen. But who can blame him when the Shaper’s lies are both methodic and melodic?
During the chapter, Hrothgar fashions a new meadhall, and the harper tells the tale of a world split into good and bad. Grendel, he claims to belong to the dark side. Even Grendel is convinced, and this dismays him. He wishes ever so longingly to make friends, especially so after this beatdown, so he pays another visit to Heorot Hall, hoping for a change of heart from the people. It is not so. The people attack, and Grendel does the same in turn. History repeats itself, though more grievously to the lonely “mon-stah.”
Grendel once again seeks refuge with his mother. He spills his thoughts out to her, the perfect listener, though she only whines about the lack of food. Codependency, much?
And then, later, Grendel leaves to find the dragon.
In chapter 4, Grendel focuses on observing the sharper and his motives as he plays his music. Although Grendel knows that what the shaper is signing about is not true, he still manages to get lost in the beautiful poetry that is the sharper’s music. He describes how sharpers change the world because their lies are told in such a beautiful way, hypnotizing those who listen. Sharpers could rewrite the past and control the future. Grendel also figures out that men run on gold and power, and that future generations would care more about gold and power that the wise words of a king. The sharpers had a way of convincing and controlling men. They told stories of lightness versus darkness and Grendel is a part of the dark side. After hearing enough lies, Grendel runs into the mead hall. Instantly men start attacking him. Grendel cries out for peace but the men continue to shoot their poisonous arrows at Grendel. Grendel was able to use a body he found in the forrest as a shield, and then was able to escape. The sharpers made Grendel hate men more if anything because even though they told constant lies, they were able to persuade men into thinking that they were telling the truth.
Grendel is desperate for someone to express his feelings to. He hates the humans for their companionship, he hates the shaper for the fame he gets, you could say Grendel has become jealous, then again, he always has been. In his rage, Grendel runs over to Heorot and begs for peace, instead, the humans try to kill him. Here Grendel questions his fate of being alone forever. He tries to change his fate, but he simply cannot be accepted into society because of his looks and his savage behavior which is contradicting itself because the humans act the exact same way, hmmm, I'm tired.
Grendel discovers music. Moreover, Grendel discovers creativity. However insane he might be as depicted by his unusual conversation in the forest, Grendel has discovered shaping, shaping history in this case to fit a pleasing story. Grendel knows on a subconscious level that this is false, a lie to twist the world to make money and to please yet as said by Grendel himself, "Why not?" This is Grendel's first step into imagination. Grendel sees imagination as peace, as shown when he rushes out and begs for it. However, peace is something he cannot have which is also shown when the humans try to attack him thus proving that he was utterly alone. In his loneliness, Grendel is angry at being alone but he is even angrier that the humans are not. He envies the humans which is a characteristic he has discovered in chapter three.
The Shaper in the chapter 4 has shown his ability to influence the world. He has the ability to shape how things will turn out. Grendel, knowing everything the shaper says is a lie, falls for the things he says because the music is so intriguing. The shaper benefits Hrothgar because it’s getting more people to be in favor of him and he knows how to cover up lies without people knowing it. The shaper shows the power music has as well as impact it makes on everyone. Grendel knew what the shaper was saying wasn’t true but at some point he too fell for something he heard him say. This is the point in which Grendel observes human activity and enjoys what they’re doing despite knowing it’s all changed information or a flat out lie. The shaper in this chapter proves he has ways of making his lies so beautiful anyone could fall for them and his skill in shaping the way everyone thinks and what will happen. - Stephanie Medina
Grendal becomes fascinated be the shapers stories and listens to them even though he knows they are lies. He then hears him sing of Grendal as a terrible monster. He runs out and confronts the men yelling for mercy. They attack and he defends himself. The war between Hrothgar and Grendal begins. -Evan N.
After meeting men in chapters 2 and 3, Grendel sees that unlike other animals, humans are intelligent. Grendel discovers that he isn’t the only sentient being alive; humans can think and this gives them the potential for being dangerous. Although it is obvious to Grendel that humans pose a threat, he is intrigued by them. Grendel almost religiously goes down to the villages of the men, watching and listening. He discovers their way of life mixed in with the nasty lies they tell. Grendel is distraught once he encounters the stories the Sharper tells, knowing the real truth but also reveling in the wonder of the Sharper’s words. Towards at the end of chapter four, Grendel iterates that he is addicted to the Sharper’s stories and refers to him using Kenning’s like gold-friend, meaning that the Sharper is friend to the rich King Hrothgar’s gold. Agitated at the men’s convoluted stories and lies, Grendel runs home in a fit of anger and confusion, cursing all men.
The fourth chapter is another sort of contrast to the second. In the second, Grendel forms his solipsistic worldview, saying the world shapes him and he shapes the world. However, this chapter is mostly about Grendel dealing with having his own world shaped by someone else- the Shaper. He acts almost bipolar, stuck switching between his world and the singer’s. He knows that what is being sung is not the truth, but at the same time he wants it to be. This leads to his introduction to men by way of blundering into their hall and getting attacked, showing that he cannot accept the Shaper's world but still have his own hopes of friendship at the same time. In this chapter, we see Grendel angrier than ever, but mostly at the part of him that wants the falsity of the songs, not himself or the world or men.
This chapter displays the two oscillating sides of Grendel as he is tremendously conflicted by a moral dilemma- his integrity over his curiosity. Both more prodigiously important to him than the other, Grendel finds himself crawling back to the vines just so that he can lie, enthralled by the allure of the Shaper. Then later, finding himself brimming with regret over relapsing like an opium addict. -julian
In this chapter the shaper makes Grendel's true beastly characteristics shine. Unfortunately this situation was brought on by Grendel himself. While closely inspecting everyone in the mead hall, he listens to the shaper's songs and poetic rhymes. As he listens, the information that comes out through the songs infuriates him to turn against the humans and instead of try to make a friendship with the humans, the story ends with the beginning of Grendel's plot to destroying most of the Dane colony. -Brendan
During this chapter, Grendel focuses on distancing himself from his more human-like side. The shaper displays Grendel as an evil animal who was born of Cain. Grendel fears the shaper and Hrothgar when he brings back the brutalized body and they attack him and for the first time, Grendel fears that the humans could end his life. Grendel is confused and angered when he realizes that he is all alone in the world but Hrothgar and the shaper have people to talk to and befriend. In a way, Grendel is far more noble than the humans because he knows of all of the waste that occurs when pointless wars over real estate occur.
Dear Amy, In Chapter 4, Grendel continues his own spying on the Shaper, and the men who he is similarly related to. Grendel hears the Shaper's singing songs of the power of kings like Hrothgar. Grendel notes from his observation that the Shaper is his own pride of creation. The Shaper realizes there are even more nobler courts where he might sings, hence building a hall just for the power of his songs to be sung. As pride began to settle in Hrothgar as well, the king decides to build a magnificent mead hall on top of a hill, to pass on to his future generations. Grendel observing this, knows that Hrothgar is trying to live up to the king that the Shaper is singing songs about, telling tales, and citing poems about. Grendel is half convinced that perhaps Hrothgar is the king he is told as to be. Again, Grendel begins to grow a voice in the back of his head asking "why not?". Grendel specifically knows that the Shaper had just reshaped the world to make a good image of Hrothgar. But, half tormented, Grendel says the shaper changes the minds of the men to make the best of it. Grendel is having a battle in his mind whether to believe the lies and befriend the men, or either to know the truth about Hrothgar and hate on men forever. While watching men and women in villages, Grendel hears a tale by the Shaper about Killer Cain who was in the dark side. And all the monsters in the world are all the descendants of Cain. Hearing this tale and believing it, made Grendel bawl in tears, hence showing himself to the men and women. Where the men scream and attack Grendel, while Grendel begs for mercy and peace. Grendel who was only defending himself kills some men with his own hands. And after realizing what he had done, he runs back to the effort, and feels his own pity. Grendel complains and admits he is jealous by asking why does the Shaper and Hrothgar have someone to talk to. Grendel is asking why can't he have someone to talk to? Grendel hears the stories of how the men fought Grendel in tales and songs, in which they were all lies. Grendel finally realizes that the men are no good, and they lie to live to their imagination. For the first time, Grendel feels evil inside him as he seeks to have revenge against the humans. Grendel, who knows that men had created a cold-blooded lie by the Shaper making it true, decides to meet the dragon and ask his own point of views of men and human nature. Therefore, in this chapter Grendel gets his feelings hurt by the people, for running away from them and attacking them, and mainly for the lies they created to boast among other men. In conclusion, Grendel begins to has mind set on his own views and opinions of the nature of humans. Thus, leading to the next chapter where he meets the dragon to ask for his thoughts of humans, and hoping to learn something from the dragon. SIncerely, Your student, Dylan Tsung
This chapter explains in depth on how the shaper screws with the people's mind. He would sing songs to make the king sound stronger and he would talk about the gods and how Grendel was the opposite of all gods. Grendel was upset and he just wanted to have someone to talk to, so he rammed the doors of Hrothgar's hall, and begged for peace and friend. In response, the human attacked him and he needed to defend himself before they killed him. This shows that Grendel is a very friendly and nice monster, but the human did not give a chance to learn from this "monster" and they attack things that seems abnormal to them. After reading this chapter, I thought of Grendel as the good creature and the human as the bad ones. It seems like Grendel is just angry that the shaper makes up all these lies about everything (Hrothgar, himself, etc) and the people actually believe him.
Chapter four of “Grendel” is centered around the Shapers (bards) that Grendel observes in the mead hall and how they shape the history and politics of Hrothgar’s nation. The first instance of the shaper’s influence is when the he sings of a great mead hall, more glorious than any other. The king is then inspired to build another mead hall just as magnificent, so that he will bring fame to his name as his tale is sung by future shapers. The shaper also celebrates the glory of Hrothgar by singing of how he waged war against other nations, as if death and war were good things. His songs are able to convince the thanes of Hrothgar that Hrothgar is such a good king that they should all pledge to fight for him and show absolute loyalty. Seeing how previous dead men were honored for their loyalty in the songs, they strive to be just as willing to serve Hrothgar and to get him more riches. In this way, the Shaper is able to assist in the power of Hrothgar’s kingdom by making all warriors loyal to Hrothgar and willing to fight. When Grendel listens to the music of the harper he becomes swept up in joy and good feelings about Hrothgar and humans. But Grendel sees through the songs of the bard and understands that they are biased and altered. He understands that the Shapers are propaganda for Hrothgar because the king pays them to sing about his greatness and the strength of his nation. He does this in order to sway the minds of the people onto his own side. In spite of this, when the Shaper sings about the division of the world into dark and light, and describes creatures like Grendel as part of the dark side, Grendel is swayed by the music and believes himself to be one of the god-cursed monsters. Hearing this Grendel is overwhelmed and he cries. He approaches the humans in the mead hall, saying “Mercy! Peace!”, and “Friend! Friend!” (Gardner, 51-52) in an attempt to communicate with the humans. Unfortunately the drunken men attack Grendel with their weapons and drive him away. When Grendel returns two nights later, he hears the harper again telling a shifted version of the good deeds of men in wars and how they had valiantly fought off the evil Grendel. According to Grendel, the humans have changed the story in their songs into which they were victims of Grendel, whereas Grendel claims that he had tried to make peace with them in the first place. If Grendel is right, then it may be possible that not everything retold in the story of Beowulf is the exact truth, and like everything else it is altered by the shapers. -David
ReplyDelete-GuysstarstudentA++++++
Delete4. This Chapter really interested me. Grendel begins to build up the courage to get closer to the mead hall and try and listen in to the shaper as he tells his stories about the king and struggles between light and darkness. Again, Grendel’s large monster body fails him as he fall through the roof of the mead hall and begins to scare everyone in the hall and he is attacked and forced to flee. Grendel also learns some new vocabulary that I wouldn’t like to go into haha. I feel in this chapter, Grendel becomes even more conflicted because he thinks he can reason with these drunken men in this hall. It also doesn’t help that they can’t understand him. He then later (in my opinion,) begins to think like a shaper and find out how to bridge the gap between their two worlds. Hopefully, in the future Grendel can learn to keep away, because there isn’t reasoning with monsters. Especially monster with an ego the size of Grendel’s mother such as king Hrothgar.
ReplyDelete~Ben Moseley
~Ben Broseley and the Ten Bromandments
DeleteThe shaper is a really important aspect of chapter 4 because the words that he sings are lies that are the truth to the people. He doses this to be on a good note with the king, praise and love. The only people that know that he is lying is Grendel, Hrothgar, and the Shaper him self. The rest of the people are feed with all the lies the Shaper sings. Once a lie is told it becomes the truth once people start to believe it. As Grendel likes to put it this is ridiculous. When the shaper starts to sing about Grendel being the evil part of the world he get really upset and sad. Its not that Grendel is an evil monster he is just not understood. For example when he goes to the meadhall to claim peace people right away assume that Grendel is attacking the hall because they cant understand what he is saying.
ReplyDelete- doesn't Garcia mean ice cream?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow many times have we heard someone say “I lost myself in the music”? We all have these small instances where a song communicates exactly what were are feeling. Back then, people, sharpers, would travel kingdom to kingdom and sing of stories of great heroes who triumphed, rich kings, and ghoulish monsters. The sharper in Hrothgar’s hall sang stories of the times past, stories of Hrothgar’s kingdom and how glorious it is. Grendel would often listen and observe these men in the mead hall and he often cursed the lyrics, saying they were ridiculous lies told to fool and flatter those who listened. Though these cunning lies were a way of controlling the men. Hearing the tales of greatness of strong and loyal heroes, made the drunken men in the hall strive to be like them. People are driven by gold and the idea of being remembered forever. So these sharpers were an amazing way of being able to discreetly control one’s citizens. With his poetic voice the sharper told great stories of light verses darkness. Describing the monstrous demons of the darkness, describing Grendel. Crying out in despair Grendel stumbles into the mead hall, having a second near death encounter with humans. Sharpers are a powerful tool for kings, making their kingdom stronger with a few words, making a king’s hellish history disappear, and lies seem true, sometimes even fooling Grendel.
ReplyDelete~Shelby
Everdeen, Katniss
DeleteAs recently said in the last chapter, the man who “changed the world” is the Shaper because he shapes everything. He shapes the way everyone perceives Hrothgar by making him sound even more amazing and magnificent. He shapes history. He shapes the future. He shapes everything with his mesmerizing music, even if what he says are lies. The Shaper can make everything he says sound like nothing but the truth, he can even convince Grendel who has seen what the reality really is. In chapter four, the Shaper is very significant. At the beginning, Hrothgar is inspired by the Shaper’s song about a beautiful mead hall and decides to make one himself with the help of many others. Soon enough, he was able to create a glorious mead hall where he planned to gain power by giving treasures away. Grendel despises Hrothgar’s ways, but still enjoys the celebration of his supposed “goodness”. Grendel starts to wonder about the Shaper’s secret powers. One day as Grendel watches couples fawn over each other, he accidently steps on a man who has had his throat cut and clothes taken. As he is lifting the corpse, the Shaper begins to play his music and sings of how the world was created. He sings about the world being split between darkness and light, placing Grendel on the dark side. Grendel himself almost believes the words that the Shaper speaks of, but changes his mind because the man that he found was killed by one of his own men, which is proof of the division between man and monster. He becomes addicted to the Shaper’s music, even though he is angry with the words he says. Grendel has mixed feelings about how the Shaper places him, he is both pleased and bothered. Grendel knows that the Shaper’s words are practically all lies, but is still amazed by the beautiful stories he can create. All in all, the Shaper has the power to convince and persuade anyone to believe the words he speaks, even if that person is Grendel who knows the truth.
ReplyDelete-Metztli Garcia
Star, moon....or something
DeleteGrendel finds himself coming back to Heorot Hall over and over again in order to hear more of the Shaper’s tales. He knows in his heart that nothing that the Shaper says is true, all fabrications created to direct positive feelings towards Hrothgar from his listeners, but Grendel still finds his thoughts swayed by the convincing tune and words of the songs. He is conflicted, torn between the lies he is fed and the truth he has seen. But who can blame him when the Shaper’s lies are both methodic and melodic?
ReplyDeleteDuring the chapter, Hrothgar fashions a new meadhall, and the harper tells the tale of a world split into good and bad. Grendel, he claims to belong to the dark side. Even Grendel is convinced, and this dismays him. He wishes ever so longingly to make friends, especially so after this beatdown, so he pays another visit to Heorot Hall, hoping for a change of heart from the people. It is not so. The people attack, and Grendel does the same in turn. History repeats itself, though more grievously to the lonely “mon-stah.”
Grendel once again seeks refuge with his mother. He spills his thoughts out to her, the perfect listener, though she only whines about the lack of food. Codependency, much?
And then, later, Grendel leaves to find the dragon.
—Haven
- whats a pseudonym Hadley? :}
DeleteIn chapter 4, Grendel focuses on observing the sharper and his motives as he plays his music. Although Grendel knows that what the shaper is signing about is not true, he still manages to get lost in the beautiful poetry that is the sharper’s music. He describes how sharpers change the world because their lies are told in such a beautiful way, hypnotizing those who listen. Sharpers could rewrite the past and control the future. Grendel also figures out that men run on gold and power, and that future generations would care more about gold and power that the wise words of a king. The sharpers had a way of convincing and controlling men. They told stories of lightness versus darkness and Grendel is a part of the dark side. After hearing enough lies, Grendel runs into the mead hall. Instantly men start attacking him. Grendel cries out for peace but the men continue to shoot their poisonous arrows at Grendel. Grendel was able to use a body he found in the forrest as a shield, and then was able to escape. The sharpers made Grendel hate men more if anything because even though they told constant lies, they were able to persuade men into thinking that they were telling the truth.
ReplyDelete***SHAPER
Deleteice cream is helado....who is this troll?
ReplyDeleteGrendel is desperate for someone to express his feelings to. He hates the humans for their companionship, he hates the shaper for the fame he gets, you could say Grendel has become jealous, then again, he always has been. In his rage, Grendel runs over to Heorot and begs for peace, instead, the humans try to kill him. Here Grendel questions his fate of being alone forever. He tries to change his fate, but he simply cannot be accepted into society because of his looks and his savage behavior which is contradicting itself because the humans act the exact same way, hmmm, I'm tired.
ReplyDeleteAlexandros (all the students get the reference...except I can't sing)
ReplyDeleteha...haha....
DeleteIm sorry everybody, my brother has to much free time ._.
Grendel discovers music. Moreover, Grendel discovers creativity. However insane he might be as depicted by his unusual conversation in the forest, Grendel has discovered shaping, shaping history in this case to fit a pleasing story. Grendel knows on a subconscious level that this is false, a lie to twist the world to make money and to please yet as said by Grendel himself, "Why not?" This is Grendel's first step into imagination. Grendel sees imagination as peace, as shown when he rushes out and begs for it. However, peace is something he cannot have which is also shown when the humans try to attack him thus proving that he was utterly alone. In his loneliness, Grendel is angry at being alone but he is even angrier that the humans are not. He envies the humans which is a characteristic he has discovered in chapter three.
ReplyDelete-Cameron
DeleteThe Shaper in the chapter 4 has shown his ability to influence the world. He has the ability to shape how things will turn out. Grendel, knowing everything the shaper says is a lie, falls for the things he says because the music is so intriguing. The shaper benefits Hrothgar because it’s getting more people to be in favor of him and he knows how to cover up lies without people knowing it. The shaper shows the power music has as well as impact it makes on everyone. Grendel knew what the shaper was saying wasn’t true but at some point he too fell for something he heard him say. This is the point in which Grendel observes human activity and enjoys what they’re doing despite knowing it’s all changed information or a flat out lie. The shaper in this chapter proves he has ways of making his lies so beautiful anyone could fall for them and his skill in shaping the way everyone thinks and what will happen.
ReplyDelete- Stephanie Medina
Grendal becomes fascinated be the shapers stories and listens to them even though he knows they are lies. He then hears him sing of Grendal as a terrible monster. He runs out and confronts the men yelling for mercy. They attack and he defends himself. The war between Hrothgar and Grendal begins.
ReplyDelete-Evan N.
After meeting men in chapters 2 and 3, Grendel sees that unlike other animals, humans are intelligent. Grendel discovers that he isn’t the only sentient being alive; humans can think and this gives them the potential for being dangerous. Although it is obvious to Grendel that humans pose a threat, he is intrigued by them. Grendel almost religiously goes down to the villages of the men, watching and listening. He discovers their way of life mixed in with the nasty lies they tell. Grendel is distraught once he encounters the stories the Sharper tells, knowing the real truth but also reveling in the wonder of the Sharper’s words. Towards at the end of chapter four, Grendel iterates that he is addicted to the Sharper’s stories and refers to him using Kenning’s like gold-friend, meaning that the Sharper is friend to the rich King Hrothgar’s gold. Agitated at the men’s convoluted stories and lies, Grendel runs home in a fit of anger and confusion, cursing all men.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth chapter is another sort of contrast to the second. In the second, Grendel forms his solipsistic worldview, saying the world shapes him and he shapes the world. However, this chapter is mostly about Grendel dealing with having his own world shaped by someone else- the Shaper. He acts almost bipolar, stuck switching between his world and the singer’s. He knows that what is being sung is not the truth, but at the same time he wants it to be. This leads to his introduction to men by way of blundering into their hall and getting attacked, showing that he cannot accept the Shaper's world but still have his own hopes of friendship at the same time. In this chapter, we see Grendel angrier than ever, but mostly at the part of him that wants the falsity of the songs, not himself or the world or men.
ReplyDelete-George
This chapter displays the two oscillating sides of Grendel as he is tremendously conflicted by a moral dilemma- his integrity over his curiosity. Both more prodigiously important to him than the other, Grendel finds himself crawling back to the vines just so that he can lie, enthralled by the allure of the Shaper. Then later, finding himself brimming with regret over relapsing like an opium addict.
ReplyDelete-julian
In this chapter the shaper makes Grendel's true beastly characteristics shine. Unfortunately this situation was brought on by Grendel himself. While closely inspecting everyone in the mead hall, he listens to the shaper's songs and poetic rhymes. As he listens, the information that comes out through the songs infuriates him to turn against the humans and instead of try to make a friendship with the humans, the story ends with the beginning of Grendel's plot to destroying most of the Dane colony.
ReplyDelete-Brendan
During this chapter, Grendel focuses on distancing himself from his more human-like side. The shaper displays Grendel as an evil animal who was born of Cain. Grendel fears the shaper and Hrothgar when he brings back the brutalized body and they attack him and for the first time, Grendel fears that the humans could end his life. Grendel is confused and angered when he realizes that he is all alone in the world but Hrothgar and the shaper have people to talk to and befriend. In a way, Grendel is far more noble than the humans because he knows of all of the waste that occurs when pointless wars over real estate occur.
ReplyDelete-Adam
Dear Amy,
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 4, Grendel continues his own spying on the Shaper, and the men who he is similarly related to. Grendel hears the Shaper's singing songs of the power of kings like Hrothgar. Grendel notes from his observation that the Shaper is his own pride of creation. The Shaper realizes there are even more nobler courts where he might sings, hence building a hall just for the power of his songs to be sung. As pride began to settle in Hrothgar as well, the king decides to build a magnificent mead hall on top of a hill, to pass on to his future generations. Grendel observing this, knows that Hrothgar is trying to live up to the king that the Shaper is singing songs about, telling tales, and citing poems about. Grendel is half convinced that perhaps Hrothgar is the king he is told as to be. Again, Grendel begins to grow a voice in the back of his head asking "why not?". Grendel specifically knows that the Shaper had just reshaped the world to make a good image of Hrothgar. But, half tormented, Grendel says the shaper changes the minds of the men to make the best of it. Grendel is having a battle in his mind whether to believe the lies and befriend the men, or either to know the truth about Hrothgar and hate on men forever. While watching men and women in villages, Grendel hears a tale by the Shaper about Killer Cain who was in the dark side. And all the monsters in the world are all the descendants of Cain. Hearing this tale and believing it, made Grendel bawl in tears, hence showing himself to the men and women. Where the men scream and attack Grendel, while Grendel begs for mercy and peace. Grendel who was only defending himself kills some men with his own hands. And after realizing what he had done, he runs back to the effort, and feels his own pity. Grendel complains and admits he is jealous by asking why does the Shaper and Hrothgar have someone to talk to. Grendel is asking why can't he have someone to talk to? Grendel hears the stories of how the men fought Grendel in tales and songs, in which they were all lies. Grendel finally realizes that the men are no good, and they lie to live to their imagination. For the first time, Grendel feels evil inside him as he seeks to have revenge against the humans. Grendel, who knows that men had created a cold-blooded lie by the Shaper making it true, decides to meet the dragon and ask his own point of views of men and human nature. Therefore, in this chapter Grendel gets his feelings hurt by the people, for running away from them and attacking them, and mainly for the lies they created to boast among other men. In conclusion, Grendel begins to has mind set on his own views and opinions of the nature of humans. Thus, leading to the next chapter where he meets the dragon to ask for his thoughts of humans, and hoping to learn something from the dragon.
SIncerely,
Your student,
Dylan Tsung
This chapter explains in depth on how the shaper screws with the people's mind. He would sing songs to make the king sound stronger and he would talk about the gods and how Grendel was the opposite of all gods. Grendel was upset and he just wanted to have someone to talk to, so he rammed the doors of Hrothgar's hall, and begged for peace and friend. In response, the human attacked him and he needed to defend himself before they killed him. This shows that Grendel is a very friendly and nice monster, but the human did not give a chance to learn from this "monster" and they attack things that seems abnormal to them. After reading this chapter, I thought of Grendel as the good creature and the human as the bad ones. It seems like Grendel is just angry that the shaper makes up all these lies about everything (Hrothgar, himself, etc) and the people actually believe him.
ReplyDelete