The sin stained, descendant of Cain and Abel- Grendel, a monster who was feared by all, lived in a mere neighboring the Danes. Everyone in Hrothgars Kingdom knew of Grendel and feared his very existence. Grendel walked the streets with fiery-filled eyes, releasing his wrath on Hrothgars people: women, children, men, but especially his knights; sparing no life, showing no mercy, destroying everything in his way. It all began when the monster over heard a group of men discussing through poem what they thought of the monster, but he did not like the things that were being said. Infuriated the monster spent no time plotting against every man that spoke out against him, or even looked as if he would speak against him. The monster avenged his human friends by killing them, one-by-one, anyone affiliated with King Hrothgar, without a doubt received a visit from the demon. Who was this monster? God’s hatred, “Sheppard of all evil,” the demon-monster who was out for revenge- Grendel; he was the symbol of evil in every home. Grendel preyed on those who emitted any joy or any person that he felt threatened by, especially the knights in Herot- the mead hall. Grendel was almost repulsed by his killings and only murdered by night, his greed and blood thirst drove him to attack again and again, leaving the Herot quiet for 12 years. Grendel was more than any other monster in a novel, throughout the piece Beowulf by Gardner we see the character of Grendel portrayed as a demon. This is proven by study of his persona-or character, what other characters felt and thought of him, and his killings in Herot as well as his significance in the battle with Beowulf. The fear towards Grendel was evident throughout the Danes and the story Beowulf; we see the words engraved in everyone’s minds in regards to the monster. Grendel’s curiosity got the best of him, wanting to know what the humans did after all of their drinking, singing and fighting. So he took a small trip to the Herot hoping to find the answer to his question. “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moons, the wild marshes, and made this home in a hell, not hell but earth.” These words show how even before the monster was revealed people feared and spoke of him. The readers get a brief image of the monstrosity and death Grendel portrays and brings to the table. They also get a taste of how the Danes feel about him; you see the first-hand feelings others have towards Grendel. As showing in the reading, it is said that Grendel lives in a “Hell.” Yet they also say that it is a “hell not hell, but earth.” This means Grendels’ world is a hell all in its own, Grendel ‘s inner-self is living in a hell although he lives on earth his self is bonded to an evil place, more specifically a type of hell such as the one Lucifer resides in. Within this piece the readers see what everyone in Hrothgars kingdom sees and feels towards Grendel. There are several words that blatantly show how Grendel is portrayed in the eyes of the everyday human.
The reason behind the story, Beowulf by Gardner- is the killings in Herot. This one reason made the story Beowulf what is made up to be; Grendel was mercy-less, killing everyone and destroying everything in his way whether it be: women, children, or men. We see this specifically in one part of the story when the men, tired from a long day always ended with drinks, song and laughter, all of the fun dying down. Laying their heads down, little did they know this was just the beginning of their long battles. All of the worries flooded by the beverages, the darkness taking over their dreams as Grendel prepared to take much more. “He found them sprawled in sleep, suspecting nothing, their dreams undisturbed. The monsters thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: He slipped through the door and there in silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them…” For 12 years Grendel tortures the men in Herot and the kingdom of the Danes. Torturing and murdering Hrothgars men night after night, with no reason but hunger and lust, Grendel slaughtered the only people who could maybe defeat the monster. In his killings we see how malicious Grendel could be, creeping as if though imitating a trained robber, searching through men’s dreams, his only desire was to destroy and be evil. The whole story of Beowulf, is based on Grendel’s actions and his reason, it completely revolves around those two things. Grendel was considered to be a mass-murder, with no love in his heart and death inscribed in his mind. He instilled fear in every person he crossed whether it was in person or through conscious.
Beowulf was the strongest of the men and the only man willing and able to fight Grendel. Along with his army, Beowulf cam prepared, little did they know what their opponent would bring to the table. Not expecting they must fight with their hands without notice, the Geat’s have found their match. “Their points could not hurt him ; the sharpest and hardest iron could not scratch at his skin, for that sin-stained demon had bewitched all men’s weapons, laid spells that blunted every mortal man’s blade. In the battle with Beowulf we see how much of an obstacle Grendel was for the Geats. It is proven that Grendel is a “demon,” type monster almost devilish in his ways. The narrator even calls Grendel, “sin-stained and the elixir he puts on the swords. The army of Geats and Beowulf were not prepared to fight such a monster and in the end it was just Beowulf versus Grendel. Throughout the battle we see a lot of symbols, Grendel is seen as a demon to others, and he is also seen as being “the devil.” Being a descendant of Cain makes Grendel a larger target for being thought of as evil, or “the evil one.” He is feared by all and considered the biggest obstacle. Yet again we see how others feel about Grendel. The fear people have for this monster surpasses the fear for death itself.
The cursed beast, “guardian of crime,” symbolism of: evil, death, enemy, and the “devil” are all words Gardner uses to describe Grendel in Beowulf. Gardner wanted the readers to get a clear image of the impersonation of Grendel, he giving us: a broad range of words that described the character of Grendel, his actions, and his reasons. Throughout the novel we are given so much imagery and symbolism so that we can understand the character of Grendel in depth, and have no questions of who he is and why he is the way he is by the end of the story.
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