‘“Yes, yes, “said the Beast, “my heart is good, but still I am a monster.

” ‘Consider what makes

things monstrous in any two texts from the module.

The utilization of the monstrous concepts in plays and writings has been common

practice among the various types of literature 1. Essentially, in literature monsters refers to the

horrible and unique imaginary creature, something unusually or extremely enormous or a

powerful thing or a person that is out of control and causes many problems 2. The use of a

monster typically signifies irrationalism, ugliness, and unnatural things and events 3.

Additionally, monsters indicate a converse of the neoclassical values of unified composition and

harmony4. For that reason, disruption of normalcy occurs causing fear, trouble, and worry among

the characters. In the two texts, King Lear by William Shakespeare and Beowulf poem, there

several instances in which things become monstrous, resulting in horrible events that cause fear

among the characters. Additionally, the illustration of how things become monstrous has both a

figurative and literal meaning in relation to events taking place in those texts. For instance, In

the Beowulf poem, the monstrous things are evident through three "monsters" namely, dragon,

Grendel, and Grendel’s mother5. The actions of these characters are monstrous as they are

horrible and problematic to other characters. On the other hand, in King Lear by William

Shakespeare, things are made monstrous by three creatures, namely, the vulture, tiger, and

serpent6. These three creatures make things monstrous as they set up imaginary space which

1
Maria Beville, The Unnameable Monster In Literature And Film (New York: Routledge, 2014).
2
Maria Beville, The Unnameable Monster In Literature And Film (New York: Routledge, 2014).
3
Maria Beville, The Unnameable Monster In Literature And Film (New York: Routledge, 2014).
4
Maria Beville, The Unnameable Monster In Literature And Film (New York: Routledge, 2014).
5
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985).
6
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
accompanies the staged representation of their ingratitude 7. Through their actions, these filial

figures in turn establish a hybrid Copia that interferes with Lear’s world that ultimately causes

his descent to turn to madness. The monsters are evident in the two texts both symbolically and

literally and their actions explain how they make things become monstrous in the two texts. This

paper aims to analyze and identify what makes things monstrous in the two texts, King Lear by

William Shakespeare and Beowulf poem.

In both texts, things have been made monstrous by the identified monsters through their

actions that causes fear and worry to various characters in each text. These monsters have caused

disruptions that have ultimately tampered with the general peaceful well-being of the affected

characters. While monsters have been identified to cause horror and fear among people, their

impact in both the two texts indicates similarities and disparities. This is evident in the various

events and things involved in the two texts that have been compelled to become monstrous. An

understanding of the monstrous things and their causes will help in identifying these similarities

and differences. The following are some of the examples of what things monstrous in the two

texts.

In Beowulf, Grendel causes things to become monstrous through his actions. Grendel has

been cursed for being a descendant of Cain, a character named in the bible 8. The singing sounds

that emanate from the mead-hall of Heorot that was constructed by King Hrothgar harrow him

causing him disturbance9. After failing to bear it, he decides to attack Heorot 10. These attacks

extend to a greater extent when he decides to attack the hall every night for twelve years 11. In the

7
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
8
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985)
9
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985)
10
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985)
11
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985)
process, he goes ahead to kill its dwellers rendering that great mead-hall unusable 12. Grendel also

causes things to become monstrous when he decides to eat all the men he kills. These monstrous

happenings are evident in the quote below;

“Neath the lofty hall-timbers by the might of the nobleman,

Each one before him, the enemy’s fingers; (Line 60)
Each finger-nail strong steel most resembled,
The heathen one’s hand-spur, the hero-in-battle’s
Claw most uncanny; quoth they agreeing,
That not any excellent edges of brave ones
Was willing to touch him, the terrible creature’s (Line 65)
Battle-hand bloody to bear away from him.
Then the mighty war-spirit1 endured for a season,
The Monster Grendel is madly envious of the Danemen’s joy.
Bore it bitterly, he who bided in darkness, (Line 35)
That light-hearted laughter loud in the building
Greeted him daily; there was dulcet harp-music,
Clear song of the singer. He said that was able
To tell from of old earthmen’s beginnings,
That Father Almighty earth had created,”

Beowulf hears of these attacks and decides to departs his native land of the Geats to kill

Grendel. King Hrohgar warmly welcomes him and offers a banquet in celebration 13. Later,

Beowulf bed down in the mead hall to await the strange and in evitable of the creature 14. At the

same time, Grendel stalks outside the building for some moment, while spying the warriors

inside. After setting its plan, he makes an abrupt attack, seizing and devouring the soldiers as

evident in the quote below;

“Fell and frantic, and forced from their slumbers

Thirty of thane men; thence he departed (Line 10)
Leaping and laughing, his lair to return to,
With surfeit of slaughter sallying homeward.
In the dusk of the dawning, as the day was just breaking,
Was Grendel’s prowess revealed to the warriors.”

Grendel’s mother is also a monster in Beowulf and her actions also explains the

monstrous things in the poem. For instance, she plans and attacks Heorot in revenge after her son
12
J. R. R Tolkien, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press, 1985)
13
Beowulf, William Morris, and A. J Wyatt, The Tale Of Beowulf
14
Beowulf, William Morris, and A. J Wyatt, The Tale Of Beowulf
Grendel is killed. As a result, Beowulf then into her cave under the lake and engages in a fierce

fight with Grendel’s mother. While fighting, she nearly kills him until she beholds the old sword,

which he uses to kill her and beheads the dead Grendel. The quote below explains these

monstrous events;

“Death for his sins. ’Twas seen very clearly,

Grendel’s mother is known to be thirsting for revenge.
Known unto earth-folk, that still an avenger
Outlived the loathed one, long since the sorrow
Caused by the struggle; the mother of Grendel,
Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded,
Reaved of his joyance, journeying to death-haunts,
Foeman of man. His mother moreover
Grendel’s mother comes to avenge her son.
Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on
Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance
For the death of her son. She came then to Heorot (Line 30)
Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building
Were lying in slumber. Soon there became then
Return2 to the nobles, when the mother of Grendel
Entered the folk-hall; the fear was less grievous
By even so much as the vigor of maidens,”

Dragon is also a monster in Beowulf through the unusual acts he engages in while

interacting with other characters. For instance, while fighting Beowulf, he breaths fires and melts

the sword making Beowulf, to fight him without any sword and ends up killing him easily 15.
16
Additionally, he has a poisonous blood that kills Beowulf after biting him . These acts of

dragon cause fear and horror making things become monstrous as those happening were unusual

and strange. The quote below justifies these events.

“Twas denied him that edges of irons were able

To help in the battle; the hand was too mighty (Line 80)
2
Which every weapon, as I heard on inquiry,
Outstruck in its stroke, when to struggle he carried
The wonderful war-sword: it waxed him no better.
The dragon advances on Beowulf again.
15
Beowulf, William Morris, and A. J Wyatt, The Tale Of Beowulf
16
Beowulf, William Morris, and A. J Wyatt, The Tale Of Beowulf
 Then the people-despoiler—third of his onsets—
Fierce-raging fire-drake, of feud-hate was mindful, (Line 85)
Charged on the strong one, when chance was afforded,
Heated and war-grim, seized on his neck
With teeth that were bitter; he bloody did wax with
Soul-gore seething; sword-blood in waves boiled.”

On the other hand, the monstrous things are also evident in King Lear by William

Shakespeare. The three creatures the vulture, tiger, and serpent explain the occurrences of the

various monstrous events in the play17. These three creatures have been used figuratively to

represent the cruel and carnal behaviors that are unusual for human beings. This imagery

approach that utilizes these creatures fundamentally represents the traits of Goneril and Regan;

the two daughters of King Lear18. Essentially, the animal imagery utilized in King Lear puts

more emphasis that human beings often deviate from their God-given responsibility of remaining

straightforward, caring, and loving towards one another to show traits of carnal desires, hatred,

and cruelty that are considered to be entirely evident in animals as such traits are regarded as

unusual and unacceptable in human beings. Since these acts are weird, unusual, and horrible,

they are considered monstrous as they pose many dangers and threats to others within the play.

These traits have been used to refer to Goneril and Regan, the two daughters of King Lear. The

use of these creatures to represent the traits of these characters is apparent in the interactions and

actions they engage in that influence the well-being of other characters. For instance, Albany

compares Regan and Goneril to tigers as a result of their cruel treatment of their father. When

Albany compares these two sisters to a tiger, he unveils their heinous behaviour of hatred,

cruelty, heartless actions towards their father. Their cruel treatment of their father makes things

monstrous in the play. These two sisters are a personification of the evil deeds that they hide

behind their visible deeds. From the first and the initial scenes of the play, they appear good to

17
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
18
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
their father when they praise him and fatter him while concealing their intentions in spite and

villainy. Their flattery of their father is evident in the quote below;

“Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile;

Filths savour but themselves. What have you done?
Tigers, not daughters, what have you perform'd?
A father, and a gracious aged man, (line 2385)
Whose reverence even the head-lugg'd bear would lick,
Most barbarous, most degenerate, have you madded.
Could my good brother suffer you to do it?
A man, a prince, by him so benefited!
If that the heavens do not their visible spirits (line 2390)
Send quickly down to tame these vile offences,
It will come,
Humanity must perforce prey on itself,
Like monsters of the deep”.

Later in the play, these two sisters turn against their father and treat him cruelly through

turning their father out into the storm when they decide arouse his anger through their evil acts

towards removing him from power. These are evident in the quote below;

“death, traitor! nothing could have subdu'd nature

To such a lowness but his unkind daughters. (line 1870)
Is it the fashion that discarded fathers
Should have thus little mercy on their flesh?
Judicious punishment! 'Twas this flesh begot
Those pelican daughters.”

These two sisters also make things monstrous when they decide to viciously put out

Gloucester’s eyes in Act 3 as evident in the quote19;

19
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
 “O, my good lord, the Duke of Cornwall 's dead,
Slain by his servant, going to put out
The other eye of Gloucester”

Additionally, Goneril has ‘wolvish visage’ and also takes part in striking his father ‘most

serpent-like, upon the very heart’20.

“Yet have I left a daughter,

Who I am sure is kind and comfortable. (line 835)
When she shall hear this of thee, with her nails
She'll flay thy wolvish visage. Thou shalt find
That I'll resume the shape which thou dost think
I have cast off for ever; thou shalt, I warrant thee
Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth,
With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks,
Turn all her mother's pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt, that she may feel
How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is (line 815)
To have a thankless child! Away, away! Exit.”

King Lear refers to Regan as a ‘vulture’ and Goneril as a ‘detestable kite’ both being

birds that eat the flesh of the dead creatures 21. In that they engage in the evil acts of killing and

enjoy in their evil acts. Additionally, he calls his two daughters ‘pelican daughters’ who are

feeding off their dad’s blood22. These descriptions further explain the monstrous acts of these two

sisters in their evils acts that cause fear and worry to other characters as evident below;

“[to Goneril] Detested kite, thou liest!

My train are men of choice and rarest parts,
The worships of their name.- O most small fault,

20
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
21
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)

22
William Shakespeare, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)
 Which, like an engine, wrench'd my frame of nature
From the fix'd place; drew from my heart all love795
And added to the gall. O Lear, Lear, Lear!
Beat at this gate that let thy folly in
And thy dear judgment out! Go, go, my people.
Beloved Regan,
Thy sister's naught. O Regan, she hath tied
Sharp-tooth'd unkindness, like a vulture, here!
I can scarce speak to thee. Thou'lt not believe
With how deprav'd a quality- O Regan!”

In both texts, several instances indicate monstrous events that have been caused by

various monsters in those texts. These monster are characters that have had an innocent

appearance, while having hidden evil behaviours are the ones behind the monstrous things in the

two texts. An analysis of what makes things monstrous in the two texts indicates similarities and

disparities. The similarities between the two texts on that what makes things monstrous is

evident in the characters who have hidden their true traits to make them conceal their evil plans

from other characters. For instance, dragon, Grendel, and Grendel in Beowulf and Regan and

Goneril in King Lear all work secretly to make things monstrous in the specific texts.

Additionally, the monsters in the two texts had unique and unusual spirits that allowed them to

perform their intended plans. For instance, the Dragon in the Beowulf could breathe fire while

Regan and Goneril in King Lear could counterfeit their true acts as they flattered their father

while planning evil deeds against him at the same time. Additionally, the monstrous things also

had detrimental effects on other characters such as madness and deaths. For instance, Regan and

Goneril in King Lear are responsible for the death of their father and his madness while Grendel

in Beowulf is responsible for the death of the soldiers he had attacked and other unnamed

characters.
 On the other hand, the difference in what makes things monstrous in these two texts is

evident in the representation of the monsters in the two texts. While the text of King Lear has

utilized creatures such as vultures, tigers, and to help in identifying the traits of the monsters and

their evil acts, the text of Beowulf makes a direct reference to the monstrous characters without

any imagery and the actions of these characters help in identifying how they make things

monstrous in the text.

 Bibliography

Beowulf, William Morris, and A. J Wyatt, The Tale Of Beowulf

Beville, Maria, The Unnameable Monster In Literature And Film (New York: Routledge,

2014)

Shakespeare, William, King Lear (Newburyport: Open Road Media, 2020)

Tolkien, J. R. R, Beowulf, The Monsters And The Critics (Folcroft, Pa.: Folcroft Press,

1985)