Grendel by John Gardner, while a mostly original work in itself, is a parody of Beowulf. At the surface, there are two distinct pieces that rightfully show how Grendel is a parody. The first depiction of “Grendel” as a parody is how Gardner takes an Old English tale of nobility and uses it to criticize the philosophy of existentialists. The second basis is the role reversal between Grendel and Beowulf. These are the biggest ways that the novel can be called a parody.
John Gardner used his retelling of Beowulf in order to criticize the existential philosophy. Gardner personally hated existential belief. This was his motivation to make the villain of his novel contemplate the same philosophy. From the epic poem of the Anglo-Saxons, one wouldn’t think that Grendel could be credited with such advanced thought. It was to Gardner’s pleasure to display the classic monster as the type of person he despised.
To reinforce the idea that Grendel is a parody, an analysis of the last chapter is required. In this novel, Beowulf is portrayed as an insane monster. While Grendel still acts like a being of evil, he is shown to have some depth. Beowulf, on the other hand, is only shown to be out of his mind and cruel. This is best displayed when he comically bashes Grendel against a wall and forces him to sing about its hardness. The comedy added to a dramatic fight solidifies “Grendel” as a parody.
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