Beowulf/Grendel by Anonymous/John Gardner

An Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf is as full of suspense, action, blood, and gore as any contemporary movie. The nature of heroism, the virtues of Anglo-Saxon kingship, and the loyalty of kinsmen and sworn followers are some of the themes explored in the work. The poet interweaves the Christian belief in one God with the old Scandinavian pagan acceptance of fate; other threads in the story include the Viking fascination with the sea and the struggle to transcend the inevitability of death. The challenge of monsters and their defeat by a young hero who relied on God and his own strength symbolize for students their own fears and future struggles.

A modern novel inspired by an ancient story, Grendel is told from the point of view of the first monster killed by Beowulf. It clarifies aspects of Beowulf—including allusions to other Scandinavian legends, Grendel’s possible motives for feuding with the Danish king, and an interesting explanation about Unferth—and emphasizes that Grendel is wrong: the world is not meaningless. Reading Grendel along with Beowulf provides an excellent opportunity to observe how an author can influence a reader’s sympathies and judgments by the viewpoint of the narrator of the story.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.