Both Gollum’s character throughout the Lord of the Rings, as well as Grendel’s character in Beowulf, serve as monstrous creatures. However, both are portrayed in a way that evokes pity in the reader.  Both Gollum and Grendel fell into a dark voids of existence, and there are striking similarities between their surrender to temptation. Through  … Continue reading On Monsters: What shaped Gollum and Grendel?