Question

read the excerpt from grendel.

it wasnt because he threw that battle-ax that i turned on hrothgar. that was mere midnight foolishness. i dismissed it, thought of it afterward only as you remember a tree that fell on you or an adder you stepped on by accident, except of course that hrothgar was more to be feared than a tree or snake. it wasnt until later, when i was full-grown and hrothgar was an old, old man, that i settled my soul on destroying him-slowly and cruelly.

what does the author use in this excerpt to develop grendels character?

• grendels words
• grendels thoughts
• hrothgars words
• hrothgars perspective

Explanation:

Analyze the narrative point of view

The excerpt is written in the first person ("I turned on Hrothgar", "I dismissed it", "when I was full-grown", "I settled my soul"). This indicates that the narrator, Grendel, is sharing his internal reflections directly with the reader.

Identify the characterization method

The passage consists entirely of Grendel's internal monologue, reflecting on his past actions, his changing perception of Hrothgar, and his ultimate decision to destroy him. There are no spoken dialogues or external words from Grendel or Hrothgar. Therefore, the author develops Grendel's character through his inner thoughts.

Answer:

• Grendel's words
• Grendel's thoughts (Correct answer)
• Hrothgar's words
• Hrothgar's perspective