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Grendel’s Mother
Hrothgar is the king of the Danes. After rising gradually to power, Hrothgar created a vast kingdom. As the leader of the Danes, Hrothgar is Grendel’s main rival. His kingdom flourishes on ideals of justice and heroism, which the Shaper’s glorifying (and propagandistic) songs help establish. As he ages, though, Hrothgar faces numerous threats—from rival kingdoms and from unhappy inhabitants of his own, such as his nephew Hrothulf and his scheming adviser Red Horse, to Grendel himself. In the end, Hrothgar must rely on the help of the Geats to defeat Grendel.
Hrothgar Quotes in Grendel
The Grendel quotes below are all either spoken by Hrothgar or refer to Hrothgar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
The king has lofty theories of his own. “Theories,” I whisper to the bloodstained ground. So the dragon once spoke. (“They’d map out roads through Hell with their crackpot theories!” I recall his laugh.)
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Chapter 7
Quotes
What will we call the Hrothgar-Wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked?
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Chapter 8
Quotes
This nobility of his, this dignity: are they not my work? What was he before? nothing! A swollen-headed raider, full of boasts and stupid jokes and mead. ...I made him what he is. Have I not a right to test my own creation?
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Hrothgar Quotes in Grendel
The Grendel quotes below are all either spoken by Hrothgar or refer to Hrothgar. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
The king has lofty theories of his own. “Theories,” I whisper to the bloodstained ground. So the dragon once spoke. (“They’d map out roads through Hell with their crackpot theories!” I recall his laugh.)
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7
Quotes
What will we call the Hrothgar-Wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked?
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8
Quotes
This nobility of his, this dignity: are they not my work? What was he before? nothing! A swollen-headed raider, full of boasts and stupid jokes and mead. ...I made him what he is. Have I not a right to test my own creation?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
