Grendel Analysis Essay
Since the beginning of time, wherever there is good, there must also be evil. Consequently, all stories about an epic hero contain a monster of some sort that symbolizes everything bad in the world. This is also true for the epic poem Beowulf, in which Beowulf must slay the horrible creature, Grendel. Grendel is portrayed as being pure evil, feared and hated by all but loved by none. Throughout Beowulf, an anonymous author characterizes the monster Grendel through his actions, his motives, and the way he is perceived by the people.
Grendel receives a reputation for being such a horrid monster based on his actions. His relentless murders and nonchalant raids make him seem like a cold-blooded killer with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Grendel had a history for such horrendous actions, noted as having “haunted the moors” (Raffel 17) and making “his home in a hell” (Raffel 18). Hrothgar’s men, along with people from all over the European area, had learned to live in fear of Grendel, never knowing when or where he may strike next. Everyone knew that Grendel had no sympathy and attacked and murdered whoever was bothering him at the moment. Grendel’s first astonishing move in Beowulf, however, was the invasion of the mead-hall. In his foray to Herot, Grendel “snatched up thirty men, smashed them” (Raffel 37) and “ran out with their bodies,/The blood dripping behind him” (Raffel 38-39). In this venture, Grendel showed no remorse for violently murdering a whole group of men, who lay innocently “sleeping” in the mead-hall. As a result, Grendel is seen as an unforgiving, relentless murderer. Even yet, the reader learns more about Grendel’s character in his final battle with Beowulf. Although Beowulf would win the battle in the end, it was not without a struggle, finding out that Grendel was stronger than any human, for “their points/Could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest iron/Could not scratch at his skin” (Raffel 481-483). Here, the reader learns of the almost supernatural powers that Grendel possesses. This fact makes the people even more afraid since his unworldly strength make him even more dangerous. Through these actions, the reader can understand how Grendel is a horrendous, uncontrollable fiend with no sympathy or second thoughts for the victims of his wrath.
In addition to his spiteful actions, Grendel’s evil character can be explained by his motives for such awful doings. Grendel’s first excuse for his behavior is his natural disposition to be evil. The author claims that Grendel “was spawned in that slime” (Raffel 19), implying that it was purely instinct for Grendel to do such evil things. This reason insists that, since it was Grendel’s nature to kill and attack, it had become his way of life; he knew nothing else. He never knew what it was to love or to be loved, not even by God himself. Therefore, it seemed as if Grendel could have been born without a heart or a conscience at all. Furthermore, the author points out that Grendel was “conceived by a pair of those monsters born/Of Cain” (Raffel 20-21). Grendel’s background hints that it was simply in Grendel’s blood to be a killer and it was a natural inclination for Grendel to be evil. Moreover, this biblical allusion connects the evil in Beowulf’s society to the original evil in the beginning of time. However, probably the most logical explanation for Grendel’s actions is his resentment towards society. As stated, Grendel was “banished/by God” (Raffel 21-22) and the “exile was bitter” (Raffel 24) since he was “shut away from men” (Raffel 25). Since the beginning of his life, Grendel was forced to live away from the rest of society, simply because of his origins. This continuously growing resentment towards Hrothgar’s people in particular fuels Grendel’s hatred and evil actions. In these typical explanations, the author attempts to explain reasons for evil in the world through Grendel's own motives.
Finally, and probably most important, the people's reactions towards Grendel demonstrate the role he plays in his society. The people’s initial reaction to Grendel was to be completely fearful of this supernatural and unforgiving monster. “Hrothgar’s men lived happy” (Raffel 15) until they were aware that Grendel was on his way to destroy their peace. In addition, no other warrior was brave enough to battle Grendel except for Beowulf, who is noted as being stronger than his peers. But although the people generally feared Grendel, there was also a sense of respect for such a “powerful monster”(Raffel 1). With his supernatural strength and abilities, Grendel is esteemed for being such a worthy opponent in battle. He is undefeatable at first, which makes him all the more dangerous and threatening, but respected at the same time. Above all else, however, the people rejoice at Grendel’s death. When Beowulf had finally defeated Grendel, he had “ended the grief, the sorrow, and the suffering” (Raffel 512) of the Geats. With Grendel gone, society finally felt a sense of safety and happiness. Grendel fits the archetype of the evil monster, especially because of the way he is perceived and rejected by the general public of his society.
In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel, an undeniably horrendous monster, is characterized through what he does, why he does these things, and how society reacts to his doings. Grendel commits many murderous actions that reveal his blood-thirsty nature. In addition, the author includes information about his motives, possibly a natural inclination or a growing resentment. Finally, the people’s reactions to the creature ultimately decide what role Grendel plays in his society. By creating such a scary creature of evil, the author of Beowulf attempts to explain the evil in the world and the reasons for it.
