n. He is a lonely beast whose only purpose on this Earth is to keep man's population under control. This is discovered with the help of the Dragon, the only source of enlightenment Grendel has. Grendel is truly a man in beast's clothing. Like Frankenstein’s monster, Grendel, has a heart and soul. Like Frankenstein's monster, Grendel will never be accepted by society. It is a sad story. It is a deep and complicated story about the search for truth and answers to the unknown. Grendel is burdened with the human desire to know all. Beowulf is a tale about a hero which has passed on for centuries. It is simple. It is simple because Beowulf is completely admirable, and completely unrealistic. Beowulf possesses no faults except old age; something he cannot avoid but still handles with great grace. Grendel is a more believable, well-rounded character. He shows a struggle that we all know. He has a conscience and makes mistakes, just like any other man. He also seeks the truth as to why this is the case. When both stories are examined in this light, we see that Grendel is a man, and Beowulf is a god. Gardner's reasoning behind Grendel is as much a mystery as is the author of Beowulf. The point is that plot and setting are not the most important parts of a story. ...
