Killing Grendel would not only help Beowulf gain material wealth and fame. He will also gain an alliance with Hrothgar and his people, but most importantly he will be repaying an old debt. Along with loyalty, Beowulf demonstrates that he has exemplary strength and courage when he states that he will use no weapons when going against Grendel. He explains that he has "heard moreover that the monster scorns in his reckless way to use weapons" (lines 433-434). Because Grendel is immune to weapons, Beowulf goes into battle weapon-less and shield-less. He is relying solely on his physical strength and his fate to guide his threw the battle. The fact that he wants to level the playing field while fighting Grendel shows a lot about Beowulf as a man, and as a warrior. He knows his strengths, but he does not know Grendel, or what he is capable of. It is that heroic code that Beowulf lives by that makes him the warrior he is. He slays Grendel, and saves the Mead hall for the Danes. This was something that he did not have to do, but because of his strength, courage, and loyalty that he does.
What is believed in today's society is very different then what was believed long ago. In the days of Beowulf, people relied heavily on the idea fate opposed to free will, and it was also highly expected to avenge the death of a loved one. While we believe that one should do to others as they have done onto you. In the Anglo-Saxton time, they believed that if someone was murdered, then it is only right that one of their loved ones could avenge that death. This is evident in Grendel's mother. Once she has heard the news of her son's death, she surfaces from her underwater home and seeks avenges on the Danes land. She beheads Hrothgar's closest friend Aeschere. When the news of the death is given to Hrothgar, Beowulf consoles him by letting him know ""Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.