Journal 2: Grendel Analysis

Grendel is, by nature, a grotesque and feared monster due to his lineage as Cain’s descendent. In Beowulf, Grendel is portrayed to wreak havoc across the land of Herot, where he is considered as a threat to society. Grendel is constantly hunted and looked down upon by others in society which fuels his strength of embedding fear into people’s mind. The blood-thirsty Grendel intends to slaughter the people he sees during the night in order to satisfy his hunger, boredom, and blood-thirst. Throughout the poem, Grendel embodies death and evil in Anglo-Saxon literature. His wicked actions led him to be killed by the epic hero, Beowulf, and also banished from society. Grendel’s actions, habitat, and personal response to exile reveal his wicked and malevolent nature only to wreak havoc among the society that chose to isolate him.  

Throughout Beowulf, the author uses biblical allusions to the story of Cain and Abel and Adam and Eve as a model to portray Grendel’s the connection between his lineage and malevolent nature. In the poem, Grendel is described to be “conceived by a pair of monsters,” who are viewed as a “murderous creatures, “banished by God,” and “punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death” (Raffel 21). In the story of Cain and Abel, Cain’s jealously caused him to kill Abel. Therefore, at birth, Grendel was automatically by upon society being symbol for malevolence towards others because of his lineage to Adam, Eve, and Cain. Like Adam and Eve, Grendel’s actions reflect those of his sinful ancestors as he continues to spread harm to the rest of the community. For example, Grendel “[slipped] through the door,” “[snatched] up thirty men,” “[smashed] them,” and “[ran] out with their bodies” (Raffel 26). This action proves Grendel’s ability to embed fear into the community for slaughtering those he encounters.

Grendel’s habitat reflected his exile from society as he is forced to live in the swamplands because the “Almighty drove [demons] out” (Author 21). Grendel was forced to live far from people because he was shunned and looked down upon as a monstrous threat to the well being of everyone. Grendel would haunt the mead hall, a place where Anglo-Saxon warriors feasted and gathered because his exile forced him to trespass rather than to be welcomed. Forced out of Herot, Grendel made his “home in a hell,” where haunted the “moors [and] wild marshes.” Grendel’s habitat was described more of like a “hell [and] not an earth” (Raffel 21). This is revealed because Grendel’s home gives an eerie and intimidating mood as no one usually came out alive. Grendel put enchantment over the weapons of trespassers that tried to hunt him; therefore it made him nearly undefeatable and unapproachable to regular commoners. Throughout the poem, Grendel’s environment revealed his dark and evil characteristics reflected in his home because the surroundings made Grendel unapproachable and feared in the community.

In Anglo-Saxon literature, Grendel’s personal response from society reveals the culture of the Anglo-Saxons as they banish him from society because anything other than service to the community was unaccepted. In the poem, Grendel is seen as a “murderous creature banished by God” because he is one of the monsters that was spawned from Cain (Raffel 21). As a result he is driven to isolation and exile from the community due to his ancestry. Grendel is described as the living embodiment of evil and death because he wreaks havoc uncontrollably throughout the community. Grendel’s grotesque image strengthens the appearance of a horrific monster. In addition, Grendel’s gruesome nature causes him to be outcast as he presents his uncontrollable desire for human slaughter. For example, Grendel “ripped him apart, cut his body to bits with powerful jaws, drank him down [from his hands and feet], and “kills him” (Raffel 32). This scene reveals Grendel’s barbaric character as he does not have mercy for those that he kills and consumes. Anglo-Saxons believed that honor came from the servicing one’s community. Grendel represented those who did not follow those beliefs. Throughout the poem, banishment from society was caused by his actions, lineage, and appearance that all drive him to be exiled and feared by the common folk.

In Beowulf, Grendel is viewed as the source of evil due to his criticisms from others, habitat, and malevolence. In Anglo-Saxon literature Grendel is described to be the monster that spreads evil across the land because of he is descended from Cain. Grendel’s lineage to a past sinner permanently confirms his position in society as a beastly outcast. In addition, Grendel’s residence adds to the intimidating feel people have for him because Grendel has embedded fear among others due to his appearance and immortality. His actions reflect those of his ancestors; moreover, Grendel wreaks havoc throughout the community and only seeks to harm and destroy.

In conclusion, Grendel’s barbaric nature leads to his exclusion from society and his habitat gives further support to his fearsome and grotesque image as an Anglo-Saxon monster.