Grendel in Beowulf

Grendel, as portrayed in the epic poem Beowulf, is an evil, destructive and bloodthirsty entity, and the Beowulf poet uses a wide variety of descriptive vocabulary and poetic devices to show the reader Grendel’s monstrous nature.

The Beowulf poet uses many poetic devices to bring across Grendel’s evil traits, which the reader was also able to infer Grendel’s destructive nature. Throughout the poem, particularly the scenes before and during Beowulf’s fateful encounter with Grendel, the poet uses kennings to bring Grendel’s evil nature to the fore. For example, the poet uses the phrase “The bane of the race of men” (713) to show how Grendel was plaguing King Hrothgar and the Danes. Another example when the poet describes Grendel as “The dread of the land” (761), further emphasizing how the people regard Grendel. While some may argue that the poet’s views may not be the people’s views, King Hrothgar says that “with all the grief Grendel has caused” and the destruction and “havoc” that he had “wreaked upon us in Heorot,” (474 to 475) it shows that King Hrothgar, speaking on behalf of the Danes, hates Grendel as much as the poet. With the use of kennings, the Beowulf poet brings out Grendel’s evil nature and it shows both in the way the poet uses the kennings, supported with the people’s reactions towards Grendel.

The Beowulf poet brings out the bloodthirsty nature of Grendel using alliteration and accentual meter. For example, Grendel strikes "suddenly" in the mead-hall, and then he “maul[s] a man” asleep on the bench, and “bit[es]" into his "bone-lappings, bolt[ing] down his blood” (743). The poet uses alliteration to powerfully accentuate and bring forth the murderous nature of Grendel. With the alliteration in “mauled a man”, it provides vivid imagery of a man getting completely lacerated, but it also uses accentual meter to give this poem the familiar rhythm that can be seen in modern rhyming poems. In the line “bit into his bone-lappings”, the poet uses the kenning “bone-lappings” to, most likely, substitute bone marrow. The alliteration combined with the accentual meter gives the reader a feeling of inexorable horror, as Grendel continues to tear the poor man to pieces, quickly finishing his appetizer and looking for the next meal. The accentual meter is heavy on "bit" and "bone-lappings", which combines with the alliteration and kenning to produce a very graphic image. With the alliteration, accentuated words, and diction, the poet gives the reader a better image than just the words alone.

The Beowulf poet also describes Grendel physically, as well as his destructive nature. An example of his destructive nature is in Grendel's "loathsome tread" and a "baleful light, flame more than light" that "flared from his eyes" (726). The poet uses the word baleful, which means menacing, and coupled with the fiery description of Grendel’s eyes, it gives the reader a feeling that Grendel is out for blood and destruction. The description of Grendel’s arm may also serve as a point of reference to the rest of his body. The limb is covered with “nail[s]", "scale[s]", and "spike[s]" that are like "barbed steel” (983-986). From this description, the reader may infer that the rest of Grendel is just as scaly and spiky as his arm, and just as hard as “barbed steel”. With this physical description, it pins a shape to Grendel, even though it is out on a limb (get it? based off a limb?)