An Analysis Of The Two

poor and helpless in every culture around the world. “If the Revolution

[ever] comes to grief, it will be because [the powerful] have become

alarmed at [their] own brutality”(Gardner 117). Then, as the rich

descend, the poor will rise

to power in order to complete the revolution. “The total ruin of

institutions and [heroism] is [in itself] an act of creation”(Gardner

118). To break the circle would cause “evolution,” forward progress,

that would enhance the natural progress of mankind. But, according to

Gardner, this will never happen because the powerful enjoy their present

state of grace; and when they helpless rise up, they are immediately

repressed in a “cry [of] common good”(Gardner 119).

Though not as overt as Grendel, the concept of “revolution” is also

displayed in Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s society ostracizes its

undesirables by chasing them to the darkest corners of the world in much

the same way that Grendel’s society does. Frankenstein is driven from

his birthplace by his creator only to find that he must hide in shadowed

allies to avoid social persecution. In the theme of revolution, the

rich control what is acceptable, and to them, Frankenstein definitely

does not fit the mold. Next, Frankenstein seeks asylum in the barn of a

small farmer. The place where he finds refuge is a cold, dark corner

symbolic of how society forces the non-elite from their spheres to

places where they cannot be seen, nor heard, and therefore do not

exist. After Frankenstein saves the starving family by harvesting their

crops, they repay him by running him off their land. This incident

repeats itself throughout Frankenstein’s journeys. Finally,

Frankenstein is forced into the cold wasteland of the Arctic circle. In

this uninhabitable place there is no one to persecute him. Yet the

doctor maliciously continues to follow Frankenstein, hoping to

completely destroy his creation. When Dr.

Frankenstein dies, his monster is the first to come to lay his body to

rest and follow him into the afterlife.

Frankenstein fits the idea of a true hero, rather than the romantic

view of heroism shared by society. He is chivalrous, loyal, and true to

himself. Frankenstein shows his chivalry by helping a family in need

and still accepting their hatred of him. He acts to help others

although he receives nothing in return. Frankenstein holds absolute

loyalty to his creator. Dr. Frankenstein shuns his creation,

Frankenstein, and devotes his life to killing the monster, yet

Frankenstein is the first to show respect to his fallen master after his

death. Frankenstein builds a funeral pyre to honor his master and

creator who despised him during his life. Frankenstein’s loyalty

extends as far as the ritual suicide he commits while cremating the body

of his creator. Most importantly, Frankenstein is true to himself.

Society wishes that he would cease to exist, so their opinion is

irrelevant to him. His creator shuns him, but Frankenstein learns to

cope with his own emotions in order to support himself. Frankenstein

relies solely on what he believes in, not in what society believes to be

important. His actions are based upon his own assessment of situations,

rather than what is socially acceptable.

Grendel is also isolated from society, and his actions also classify

him as a true hero. Like Frankenstein, Grendel has little outside

influence and has to rely on his own emotions to make decisions.

Grendel possesses bravery, yet he does not have the foolish pride of

Beowulf. “The first virtue [of heroism] is bravery,

but even more, it is blind courage”(Nicholson 47). Grendel is the

epitome of “blind courage.” For example, when the bull attacks Grendel,

he simply calculates the bull’s movements and fearlessly moves out of

the way. Even when the bull rips through his leg, Grendel is not

afraid. Grendel repeatedly charges into the meadhall and destroys its

best warriors without a second thought. Grendel even has the courage to

taunt Hrothgar’s bravest thanes by throwing apples at them. Grendel

“breaks up their wooden gods like kindling and topples their gods of

stone”(Gardner 128). It is this type of “blind courage” that Grendel

believes saves his life in battle. “Fate will often spare a man if his

courage holds”(Gardner 162). Beowulf, on the other hand, is foolish in

his approach to battle. He goes to fight an immortal opponent, the

dragon, and is killed because of his pride. “His very valor, wisdom, and

magnanimity, expended unstindtly, lead only to a hero’s grave in a land

soon to be conquered”(Brodeur 105). Grendel’s “blind courage” is far

superior to the “blind stupidity” of Beowulf.

Just as society’s heroes fight foolishly, their opinions are made by

prejudice and reflect the ignorance of humankind. Both monsters are

seen as the minions of evil, and even of Satan himself. “Grendel is

placed in a Biblical lineage of evil reaching back to the first

murder”(Hamilton 105). Even the author of the poem alludes to “the

descent of the race of Grendel from Cain”(Donaldson 1688). Frankenstein

is proposed to be of “accursed origin”(Milton 130). However, neither of

the two can be properly defined as Satanic,

especially on the information known to the rest of society. Continuing,

this belief causes extended prejudice of the monsters even in our

society today.

Through the predetermined opinions of society, Grendel is seen as an

evil come to destroy all of mankind. Grendel is a victim of society,

he was not born inherently evil. “Woe to him who is compelled, through

cruel persecution, to thrust his soul into the embrace of fire, to hope

for no solace”(Kennedy 9). Society unduly restrains Grendel to heinous

stereotypes that he does not fit. For example, another character more

closely fits the description of Cain than Grendel. “The only one of the

personages of the poem who is clearly said to be destined to suffer in

hell is Unferth, who, in his responsibility for the death of his

brothers, has committed the sin of Cain”(Brodeur 218). Clearly, it is

not Grendel that should be condemned. He only tries to assimilate into

society, but after being continually rejected he turns to violence in

response to society’s hatred of him.

Similar to Grendel, Frankenstein is also pictured as satanic. Brooks

concurs in saying that society “views [Frankenstein] to be a unique

creation, like Adam ‘united by no link to any other being in

existence’(Milton 129), yet by his condition more resembling

Satan”(210). “There are times when he scarcely seems to be of this

earth”(Venables 59). Also like Grendel, Frankenstein was not born evil,

he was forced into his way of life by the society that rejected him.

After this rejection, Frankenstein “like the arch-fiend, bore a

hell within him”(Shelley 136). To each man his own god, and to each man

his own devil as well. Frankenstein, “like Coleridge’s wedding guest,

leaves ‘a sadder and wiser man’”(Scott 201). He now better understands

his existence and how society wrongfully rejects it. Frankenstein

simply wants society to have the “knowledge that might enable [him] to

make them overlook the deformity of [his] figure”(Shelley 114). “Man?

how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!”(Shelley 201).

Grendel’s and Frankenstein’s superiority to humankind is made obvious

by their ability to live in a society that has ostracized them, the

monsters’ true heroism in place of humankind’s romantic view, and the

ignorance on which society’s opinion of the monsters is based. “The

monsters not only embody our fears of the way certain entities can

artificially pervert nature in ourselves and our society, they also

speak to us knowledgeably of nature and in a human voice, to tell us we

need not be afraid [of them]“(Scott

201).