Grendel-5

In Beowulf, Grendel definitely played the role of a monster and struck fear in everyone around. Because of his evil nature, he had a graphic way of killing his victims. He smashed warriors in their beds, ate them and broke their bones in order to strike fear and send a message to others around. He had superior strength and could put a curse on the warriors’ weapons rendering them useless against him. “He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds, and ran out with their bodies, the blood dripping behind him, back to his lair, delighted with his night’s slaughter (line 36).”His motives are a direct reflection of the first murderer Cain. “He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Able’s death (line 19).” He’s simply here to cause destruction and kill anything that gets in his way. It’s in his blood and there’s nothing he can do about it. Beowulf describes Grendel as being an ugly creature that lives in the depths of the sea with claws and brute strength. John Gardner also describes him as having chest hair that would have blood on it after eating some of his victims. His presence caused the Danes to flee Herot for twelve years because of the losses they had received there due to Grendel. Throughout the poem, Grendel floats primarily between two main places. He’s either in his lair or in Herot wreaking havoc. “Up from the swampland, sliding silently toward the gold-shining hall. He had visited Hrothgar’s Home before, knew the way (line 397).” I like to consider Grendel somewhat of a coward as well. When he finally met his match, Beowulf, and saw he couldn’t defeat him, he took off in fear, as well as in pain. He wanted no more of what Beowulf had to offer. As long as he was in control, he thought he was the meanest thing around. “But wounded as he was, could flee to his den (line 501).” He fled to his undersea lair where he felt he was safe from Beowulf’s wrath. As stated before, Grendel pretty much symbolizes evil. The poem Beowulf is about good versus evil and Grendel plays the captain of the evil team. He’s the descendant of Cain so he has no choice but to be evil. After Beowulf defeats his mother in his home, he finds Grendel against a wall where his body lay still, armless. “Then struck off his head with a single swift blow. The body jerked for the last time, then lay still….” With the swing of Beowulf’s sword, off came Grendel’s head silencing him forever. Grendel’s final resting place resides partly in his lair and his head with King Hrothgar.