Friday, May 11, 2007

The Shaper's Love


"The Shaper would tip his whitened head, blind eyes staring at the floor whenever the lady spoke, and from time to time, when he sang of heroes, of ship-backs broken, there was no mistaking that he sang the song for her. Nothing came of it. She would leave the hall on her husband's arm: the Sahper would bow politely as she passed" (Grendel 144).

Grendel's admiration for this red-headed woman was because of her loyalty, her "soul of fidelity, decorum" (Grendel 144). Though she quite possibly loved the Shaper, as she is anxious and silent from something like grief when he dies, she was not disloyal to her husband. Grendel respects the woman's truthfulness.

In contrast to Wealtheow, who is a lie, an illusion representing underlying conflict, the red-headed woman is truth. She does not do anything to compromise her position as a faithful wife.

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