In this portion of Beowulf that we read, Grendal's mother wanted to seek avenge for Grendel's death. as Stephanie mentioned in her post-being a mother of someone who was murdered would probably cause you to be pretty upset and angry. This being said, it would make sense that Grendal's mother wished Beowulf dead. But is avenge the right answer?
What is the difference between avenge and revenge? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to avenge is to "harm or punish someone who has harmed you or someone or something that you care about" while seeking revenge is defined as, "to avenge (as oneself) usually by retaliating in kind or degree, or to inflict injury in return For." So, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between these two definitions. Regardless of whether or not Grendal's mother wanted to seek avenge or revenge, is either okay?
Maybe some of you would disagree with me, but I don't understand how killing Beowulf would help Grendal's mother. Killing Beowulf wouldn't bring Grendal back to life. Nothing Grendal's mother did to Beowulf could change the fact that her son is dead. While grief is a process and I don't expect Grendal's mother to suddenly feel better that her son was murdered, I don't see anything good coming out of trying to kill Beowulf.
I will say however, I kind of feel bad for Grendal and his mother. As we mentioned in class, there isn't really much in the poem explaining the appearance of Grendal or his mother that would make you think they are monsters. While your family members may give insight to who you are, they do not define you. With this in mind, even though Grendal was killed and thought of as a monster, his mother doesn't have to be seen this way. Rather than trying to kill Beowulf she may actually be able to receive some sympathy from people because her son was murdered. Instead, her evil intentions get the best of her.
Anne, you pose an interesting question in your post about whether or not Grendel's mother is justified in seeking vengeance for Grendel's death. I am certain that most people would empathize with Grendel's mother's reasoning for wanting to bestow her form of justice towards those who wronged her child. However, I do agree with you that Grendel's mother's actions are unwarranted in this situation. As the old saying attributed to Gandhi goes, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Furthermore, from other stories of heroes, villains, and monsters that I have been exposed to in which a death has occurred, oftentimes, the hero seeks another form of retribution instead of killing the other individual for his/her crime. In many cases, the hero does not kill the offending party because that would only bring them down to their opponent's level when the hero is supposed to be morally correct. The finality of death remains a heavy burden to bear on one's conscience which only temporarily ceases the pain of loss, causing more suffering in the process. In spite of this notion, though, it is hard to envision any other possible scenarios that would have enabled Grendel's mother to receive some type of redress for her son's death, given the warrior culture that exists in Beowulf.
ReplyDeleteAlthough killing Beowulf would not have brought Grendel back to life, it may have brought some closure and ease for Grendel's mother. Although I don't personally agree with this level of violence, killing Beowulf would have been Grendel's mother's means of obtaining justice. Even in the society we live in, murderers are sometimes put to death for their actions. Also, it could have eased Grendel's mother's mind to know that her son's murderer was not continuing to walk around, living a happy life, while her son did not; it wasn't fair in her eyes.
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