The Settings of Grendel
- The cave
- This is where Grendel lives. It’s in lake surrounded by other monsters
- One of the themes of this novel is the pain of isolation. Grendel lives in the cave with his mother, but he’s isolated from her because they don’t have an easy way to communicate with each other.
- The forest
- Grendel spends much of his time in the forest. It’s a place where he can clear his head and be by himself.
- This is where he gets stuck in the tree and realizes that he’s not the center of the world and not everything is going to go his way. He can’t always count on others to help him.
- The dragon’s lair
- Like his getting stuck in the tree, talking to the dragon teaches Grendel that there are things more powerful than he is, and he can’t always get what he wants.
- The dragon also bestows upon Grendel the power to withstand any mortal blade.
- The meadhall
- Grendel has an obsession with the meadhall. He’s first drawn to it when he hears the Shaper telling stories. This brings in another theme: the power of stories.
- Grendel is determined to be remembered in a story. The only way that he can think of doing that is by being a villain, so he starts his twelve year war on the meadhall.
- Wealtheow's and Hrothgar’s bedroom
- Grendel decides that he’s going to kill Wealtheow, and show Hrothgar and his men how terrible and powerful he is. He grows in his humanity when he decides to spare her life, even though it doesn’t matter if she lives or dies.
- Grendel is slightly in love with Wealtheow, but he finds balance between that and his quest to reign terror.
- The ring of gods
- Here, Grendel talks to the blind priest. Grendel says that he is the Destroyer, and asks about the King of Gods. In his explanation, the priest tells Grendel that evil is a necessary thing. Good things must have a contrast, and that is evil.
- When all the priests begin to talk, Grendel is puzzled by their conversation. It stifles his bloodlust, and he doesn’t attack anyone.