When Grendel encounters the all-knowing Dragon, the philosophy of existentialism becomes evident in the words of the Dragon. Overall, the Dragon contradicts the Shaper’s statements, by seeing the world as a chaotic, meaningless place, in which the entities of the world only exist. The Dragon views the Shaper’s efforts as meaningless, similarly to the patterns that humanity creates. In addition, the absence of a God is a present existential theme that occurs when the Dragon scoffs at the pattern-makers “crackpot theories” and denies the Shaper’s efforts to implement religion and an all-mighty God into society.

“What god? Where? Life-force, you mean? The principle of process? God as the history of Chance?” In some way that I couldn’t explain, I knew that his scorn of my childish credulity was right. “Nevertheless, something will come of all this, “I said. “Nothing, "he said. A brief pulsating in the black hold of eternity. My advice to you-” (John Gardner, 74) The Dragon presupposes the absence of God and asserts that there is no inherent meaning or value in life. The Shaper and the Dragon are both influential beings that ultimately divides Grendel’s mind into separate philosophies. The Shaper preaches the existence of an all-mighty God, which brings Grendel to the point of tears. However, the Dragon contradicts the Shaper’s words, by stating that there is no God, only chaos in the space time continuum that dictates absolutely nothing. The Dragon thus advises him to create his own meaning in the inescapable vagueness of life, by “seeking out gold and sitting on it”.

“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.) (John Gardner,13) The Dragon scoffs at the human’s endless theories to give life meaning. He refers to the humans as “pattern-makers”, attempting to establish order in an overwhelming world of chaos. Thus, both Grendel and the Dragon criticize the human’s mindless social practices or “crackpot theories”. In the context of this quotation Grendel raids the meadhall and Hrothgar’s kingdom thus creating a litany of theories explaining the reasoning behind this horrid occurrence. Humanity turns to religion (“I hear the people praying-whimpering, whining, mumbling, pleading- to their numerous sticks and stones” (John Gardner, 13)) in times of crisis in order because it is their only explanation on why these events would occur.

The Dragon offers Grendel a place in the universe: he is the monstrosity that exists, the affliction on humanity that will lead the human race to create, develop, and learn. Grendel is apropos to humanity, by serving as the evil in the world that prompts men to “poetry, science, religion…”. By Grendel serving as the antagonist from humanity’s point of view, men rely on religion to explain the reasoning behind their lives. “You improve them boy! Can’t you see that yourself? You stimulate them! You make them think and scheme. You drive them to poetry, science, religion, all that makes them what they are as long as they last. You are, so to speak, the brute existent by which they learn to define themselves. The exile, captivity, death they shrink from- the blunt facts of their mortality, their abandonment – that’s what you them recognize, embrace! You are mankind, or man’s condition: inseparable as the mountain-climber and the mountain.” (John Gardner, 73)

I saw long ago the whole universe as not-my-mother, and I glimpsed my place in it, a hole. Yet I exist, I knew. Then I alone exist, I said. It’s me or it. What glee, that glorious recognition. (John Gardner, 158) In chapter 11, Grendel adopts existentialism by finding the importance of his existence in contrast of the world around him. He has rejected the philosophies and influence of the Shaper, the Dragon, and the priests. Thus, he returns to the world in which he is the center and ultimately decider of meaning., not influenced by other’s words. Grendel’s existentialism is dictated by violence, in which he creates his meaning by acceding to his impulses that have be evident ever since his first encounter with humans mistreating him. Without the influence of the Shaper, the Dragon, and the priests, Grendel’s attempt to find this place in the world is to instinctively kill and become the evil in the world.