The theme of hero and monster is claimed throughout the poem. ... Grendel, having this appearance of repugnance, was perceived as an evil monster making him an outcast to the Danes. ... This helps bring out the similarities Beowulf has in relation to a monster. ... Beowulf comes forth to fight Grendel's mother and this fight initiates the change of Beowulf into this monster. ... Plunging into the lake inhabited by all kinds of monster symbolizes his metamorphosis into a monster. ...

• Word Count: 1577
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

The poet tells of how the peace and contentment of Hrothgar ends because Grendel comes and brings misery to the Danes: And then as now warriors sang of their pleasure: 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. ... In these lines the poet tells of the sneakiness, greed, a...

• Word Count: 1278
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The word Grendel itself sounds like a monsters name and makes you picture it in your head what Grendel actually looks like. When you think about monster's you usually think about heroes also, so John Gardner wrote the story to make you think about Grendel as the monster, so in your head you can think about what the hero has to be capable of in order to slay or defeat the monster. ... Grendel- He is a intelligent monster, that isn't sure about the world around him, but is very curious about everything he encounters. ... So the main conflict is man surviving over monsters, and ev...

• Word Count: 1613
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

However, other scholars such as Andy Orchard disagree with this claim, and believe that there is "something deeply human about the 'monsters'". While Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon are indeed portrayed as evil and violent foes, there are parts within Beowulf that can also lead a reader to believe that the "monsters" may not be so monstrous after all. This ultimately evokes traces of sympathy in the reader for the plight of these "monster" figures, and blurs the fine line between good and evil within the poem The first opponent Beowulf ...

• Word Count: 1275
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate