Blake and Grendel

Two opposites must live in harmony. This is the central idea throughout Blake's work and throughout Grendel. That Gardner chose one of Blake's poems for the short introductory quote makes sense since Grendel's internal conflict so closely parallels that of Blake's. Grendel must choose between two conflicting ideas. This internal battle eventually destroys him, as if to prove that the battle cannot be won. Blake, however, disagrees; Blake believes that a perfect state is a mixture of both heaven and hell. He believes that these two opposites must combine to maintain a sense of innocent joy coupled with knowledge. Grendel is an exploration of that idea.

The Shaper is one of the forces that Grendel is attracted to. The Shaper builds and creates memories. He unifies the people. Grendel desperately wants to be a part of his world, even if it means being one of Cain's descendants. The Shaper represents the Songs of Innocence. Both are hopeful and naïve. The Shaper lives in an illusion where the conquests of the Danes are important and heroes are real. Even Unferth fights to be a hero, in the end. The poems represent a child’s perspective on life while the Shaper represents child-like perspective. Both are similar in their joy and innocence.

On the other hand, we have the Dragon. The Dragon is all knowing. He has the knowledge that the child-like Danes cannot even hope for. In chapter five, he shares his experience with Grendel. He explains the concept of time and says that extinction is inevitable, but the world will keep spinning. The Songs of Experience represent him. The Dragon sees all and understands the harshness of life that destroys all good and innocence. He shows Grendel that Grendel is only an enemy of the Danes because he needs to be. Without Grendel, life would go on and the Danes would find a new enemy. This reality is something Grendel must accept. Grendel is a monster because it is fate. Everything is pre-determines, so there is no free will. The Dragon can see all but change nothing. This viewpoint is harsh and lacks hope.  

Grendel struggles to find a common ground. At first, he accepts the Shaper’s point of view. The Dragon, however, convinces him otherwise. So, Grendel begins his spree of killings. He transforms himself into the Wrecker of Mead Halls. However, he begins to doubt himself when Wealtheow is introduced to the novel. She tears him up on the inside, just like the Shaper, and he is again faced with an internal conflict. Is the Shaper right, or is the Dragon right? This internal conflict destroys him and eventually causes his destruction. He is unable to fight Beowulf because Beowulf represents his own inner conflict. Beowulf’s constantly changing appearance further shows that he is another mental conflict Grendel faces. Blake’s two opposites don’t come together very well. Instead of in a perfect state, Grendel was left destroyed.