Grendel Lesson Plan

Grendel's Mother

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

Consider alternate interpretations of the character of Grendel's Mother.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9

Structure:

In John Gardner's Grendel, Grendel's Mother is described in grotesque terms and defined by her hideousness. She apparently cannot speak or understand language (though her son is verbose!). She has very little personality or characterization beyond being a possessive mother. In the original Beowulf, both Grendel and his mother are monstrous and animal-like. Gardner reinterprets Grendel as a hateful and eloquent monster with the capacity for...