The shaper

We actually live endless lives, in our heads we live on forever. Now before you get any ideas stating that someone died at this age and that isn't forever, well that isn't in our heads. If we look at us individuals, each a separate part of the vast universe, than to us we do live on forever... we do not realize when we finally give our last breathe. 

So now that the theory of existence has been sorted out and we understand everything about anything then we must move on to a much larger subject, the purpose of life. To some it may be the struggle-some and lonesome chase for knowledge, for others, those who believe in Aristotelianism, to achieve happiness. Some reject with wealth and try to become one with nature, while others strive to gain material wealth beyond their wildest dreams. Yet knowledge is far to large for us to always comprehend, happiness is a subjective term, and material wealth always becomes greedy. It is almost as if we have to point to two extremes. This is the idea of beauteous art and cold nihilism, two characters in Grendel represent this idea, the Shaper and the Dragon. These two have two completely different philosophies and purposes regarding life. 

The shaper, on one hand, the Shaper is perhaps one of the most powerful characters. He directs the hearts of men and instills within their minds ideas of pride and strength and victory. He illustrates hopes for the future, images of the wealth and harmony that lie ahead for the Danes. He paves the past behind them, telling stories of what once was, and how things came to be. Though blind to the light of the world, his inner vision is too bright to be ignored, and even the heart of a friendless monster is touched by this Shaper's designs, and he is moved to tears. The Shaper is merely a man, but he is also a weaver of a special kind of reality: the kind we choose to believe. But what of these illusions, the remolding of the past and present, the promises of a more beautiful future? As Grendel points out during his conflicted moments before his conversion, did we "kill each other more gently because in the woods sweet songbirds sang?"

The dragon, on the other hand the dragon explains that humans have a tendency to extrapolate theories and grossly generalize from the limited evidence they have, hampered as they are by their restricted vision of the world. The dragon also explains to Grendel how all nature inevitably moves toward more complex forms of organization.

So the consistent argument between these two theories is based on self-thought. Many people seem to think the philosophy of the dragon is much more appealing because it is more intelligent, clever, and almost pretentious. Yet us as humans consistently live as those under control by the shaper does. Why? Simply because we need to, The shaper invokes survival, warmth, happiness, and art… the dragon on the other hand leads us to believe that stagnation and a guarding of precious jewels is more important, which it isn’t. To believe in the Dragons philosophies would induce a belief of being alone… all the time. And that isn’t possible, if you want to survive. Although the shaper does induce some sort of illusion, I don’t think that means anything because who cares? If people are happy and the truth doesn’t harm then there is no reason to tell them.