Journal 5: Grendel

In the epic, Beowulf, Grendel is a blood-thirsty and hate-driven monster. Grendel has created this image of himself through his actions. Through the story, he does the most disastrous deeds that cause people to hate and fear him.
He has no motives behind his actions; he kills people for the sake of killing them. He wants their blood. If he had a motive, it would be a vengeance that has been carried for years dating back to the time of Cain and Abel. Cain murdered his brother Abel. Grendel is a descendent of Cain, and humans are descendents of Abel. Grendel also creates this image of himself by living in a dark, isolated place where he creates a setting of evil wherever he goes. Through his evil, he has caused people to fear him, and when they speak of him, the fear and hatred can be heard in their voices. Grendel has terrorized the people to the point where many of them fled for safety; otherwise, Grendel would have killed them.


The words used to describe Grendel, throughout the epic, are more than enough to create this image of the most despicable monster ever. In the beginning of the epic, the author is describing the world of Danes, and then he introduces Grendel. The words he uses to describe the land compared to Grendel make it obvious that Grendel is evil. “…So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death.” This is the description given to Grendel in the first passage of the epic. Grendel is described as a demon and fiend which help create his image as an evil monster. Furthermore, Grendel’s lineage is from a series of murderous creatures who have been banished by God. His ancestors were as evil as him.

Grendel’s actions are also an important factor in the creation of the image of Grendel. Grendel is a monster who does nothing but murder. He does not listen to reason and negotiations. Grendel shows no mercy, for his heart, if he has a heart, is full of hatred. The author describes Grendel sneaking up on Herot while the warriors inside celebrate. After everyone falls asleep, Grendel slips “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.” In an instant, Grendel murdered thirty men, and he is not forced or compelled to kill these men. He enjoys murder so that he can attempt to temporarily satisfy his never ending bloodlust. “And that night Grendel came again, so set on murder that no crime could eve be enough, no savage assault quench his lust for evil.” For twelve years, Grendel terrorized Herot and the people there. Warriors could not fight him off because he used magic to make himself immune to weapons, and he would accept no sort of treasure to stop his killing. Grendel has created his own image as a monster who murders humans with no mercy or hesitation.