Journal 5- Grendel

Grendel was the monster, who terrorized Herot, and he made the men in the mead-hall run away or he would calm their lives. Grendel was a part of hell and lived in a swampy, dark, and gloomy area. “The almighty drove those demons out, and their exile was bitter, shut away from men; they split into a thousand forms of evil.” This text gives the first clue to the readers. Grendel was out to seek revenge because he was isolated from the rest of human kind. He came for his revenge at night, and put fear into the citizen’s of Herot. He would sneak in and eat the sleeping men. He used his powers to make human weapons useless against him. When the men realized this they stayed away from the mead hall for “twelve winters.”
With his attacks on men for no reason Grendel is known as evil. “On murder that no crime could ever be enough, no savage assault quench his lust for evil.” The people feared him and didn’t try to stop him because they feared that nothing could stop the evil inside him. This would lead to Beowulf aiding the people of Herot.
Grendel was unprepared for the coming of Beowulf. He thought that no one was strong and fearless enough to come punish him for his doings. Beowulf was able to fight Grendel, by using Grendels greet and lust against him. Beowulf and his fourteen men stayed in the mead hall and waited for Grendel to show. When Beowulf attacked him Grendel, showed a human emotion when he “Desired nothing but escape.” Grendel was able to escape when the men tried using their weapons to attack him and failed due to the spell put upon the weapons.
Grendel’s natural feeling is to kill and not fill ashamed. He was powerful and strong to aid his evil abilities. He was considered that he was harming innocent citizens. He wanted everyone to feel the hurt and pain that he felt. He was devious since he was able to put an evil spell on all the men’s weapons. He was naïve for thinking that he could never be harmed because of that he was unprepared for the battle. After the arrival of Beowulf, Grendel showed the emotions that the men he terrorized felt. He felt the fear and the need to escape, like the citizens had felt when he terrorized the hall. He felt the helplessness the citizens felt.
Grendel is the symbol of the evil that can surround anyone. He wanted everyone to feel the loneliness and fear because of his hatred. Grendel can be the monster in the closet that we fear or the reason we want the light on at night.