Grendel Study Guide

Gardner includes all featured characters from the original poem in his novel, but greatly changes many roles. Beowulf himself, for example, appears only in the last portion of the novel and has little dialogue or interaction with other characters. The author also introduces a handful of incidental minor characters.

• Grendel– the main protagonist and self-described monster, given the narrator's voice in the novel.
• Grendel's mother– another antagonist from Beowulf who lives in an underwater cave with her son. Unlike her son, she is incapable of speech and holds no curiosity of the world outside her cave.
• Beowulf– a Geatish hero who ultimately kills Grendel. He is never referred to by name in the novel. He is given qualities similar to the dragon
• Hrothgar– warrior and king of the Danes.
• The Shaper– a blind harpist and storyteller in Hrothgar’s court. He creates the Dane's image of Grendel as a threat by telling fictional stories.
• The Shaper’s assistant – the young apprentice who replaces the Shaper upon his death.
• Unferth– a Scylding warrior who challenges but fails to defeat Grendel.
• Wealtheow– queen of the Danes and wife to Hrothgar.
• Hrothulf– Hrothgar’s orphaned nephew.
• Freawaru– Hrothgar’s teenage daughter.
• Hygmod– King of the Helmings and Wealtheow’s brother.
• The dragon– an ancient, omniscient beast guarding a vast hoard of treasure to whom Grendel goes for advice. It possibly is a figment of Grendel's imagination. It is also possible the dragon was meant to be the same dragon that appeared in the epic poem Beowulf as he does reference how he has foreseen his own death at the hands of a human, he also alludes that his death would be the end of his kind implying that he is the last dragon.
• Red Horse– Hrothulf’s elderly advisor.
• Ork– an old and blind Scylding priest.