journal #18
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Journal #18. What makes a character a villain? Think about villains in popular culture ( Cruella DeVille , Darth Vader, The Joker, Wicked Witch of the West…) – what do popular villains have in common? . Grendel. Back to Old English…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E806VmFC8io. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Journal #18
• What makes a character a villain? Think about villains in popular culture (Cruella DeVille, Darth Vader, The Joker, Wicked Witch of the West…) – what do popular villains have in common?
Grendel
Back to Old English…
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E806VmFC8io
The villain of Beowulf
• Monster• Born of evil• Terrorizes Hrothgar’s hall• Murders Hrothgar’s men• “Mankind’s enemy”
But is he really a villain…?
History of “Grendel”
• The main monster in the story of Beowulf is Grendel. That is capitalized as though it is a proper name like Fido or Black Beauty, but it was a species of serpent. People spoke of grendels pond or grendels pit or grendels wood, naming them according to where they lived. Grendel in the story was a grendel because he lived in a large pond full of coarse ferns. He probably had a loud, deep-throated growl. There are hints that an ancient word “grindill” means to bellow, and a Middle English word “grindel” means angry.
Textual Differences
• “A powerful monster, living down in the darkness…”
• “So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes…”
• “Let them beware…”
• “Then a fierce evil demon suffered distress, long in torment…”
• “Thus again and again, this foe of mankind…”
• “Woe be to the one…”
Homework Assignment!