Question

read these lines from beowulf.
he realized
that the demon was going to descend on the hall,
that he had plotted all day, from dawn-light
until darkness gathered again over the world
and stealthy night-shapes came stealing forth
under the cloud-murk.

read this excerpt from grendel.
thus i fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry—crawling, whimpering, streaming tears, across the world like a two-headed beast, like mixed-up lamb and kid at the tail of a baffled, indifferent ewe—and i gnashed my teeth and clutched the sides of my head as if to heal the split, but i couldnt.

which statement best compares the two excerpts?
grendel is described as an unfeeling creature in beowulf, but he is a sensitive and emotional character in grendel.
grendel seems comical and ridiculous in beowulf, but he seems calm and calculating in grendel.
beowulf acts cowardly in beowulf, but he behaves like a fearless hero in grendel.
beowulf feels sympathy for grendel in beowulf, but he is jealous of grendel in grendel.

Explanation:

Analyze the depiction of Grendel in Beowulf

In the excerpt from Beowulf, the monster is described objectively as a "demon" who has "plotted all day" to descend on the hall under the cover of darkness. This portrays him as a calculated, unfeeling, and menacing threat.

Analyze the depiction of Grendel in Grendel

In John Gardner's modern adaptation Grendel, the narrative is told from Grendel's first-person perspective. He describes himself as a "ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry—crawling, whimpering, streaming tears," showing deep emotional vulnerability, sensitivity, and existential pain.

Compare the options

• Option 1 correctly contrasts the unfeeling demon of the epic poem with the sensitive, emotional character in the modern novel.
• Option 2 is incorrect because Grendel is not comical in Beowulf.
• Option 3 is incorrect because Beowulf is not cowardly in the epic.
• Option 4 is incorrect because Beowulf does not feel sympathy for Grendel in Beowulf.

Answer:

• (A) Grendel is described as an unfeeling creature in Beowulf, but he is a sensitive and emotional character in Grendel. (Correct answer)
• (B) Grendel seems comical and ridiculous in Beowulf, but he seems calm and calculating in Grendel.
• (C) Beowulf acts cowardly in Beowulf, but he behaves like a fearless hero in Grendel.
• (D) Beowulf feels sympathy for Grendel in Beowulf, but he is jealous of Grendel in Grendel.