When one first reads of Grendel in the poem Beowulf, he is described as “being spawned in 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.” (18-23) By lineage, Grendel is a member of “Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed / and condemned as outcasts.” (106–107). Grendel was banished from the city, the banquet hall (Herot) and all of human society. Therefore, Grendel lurked in the dark and mysterious place of what was known as the swamplands, totally secluded from society. Grendel was now an outsider who just hungered and longed, not for eating human beings, but rejoining and reconnecting with society.
Despite Grendel’s many animal attributes with a grotesque, monstrous appearance, he seems to possess the inclinations and emotions of a human being: the feelings of jealously, anger, and vengeance. Grendel demonstrates more of what a human feels inside, not necessarily a monster, which might come as a surprise. Heritage and ancestors provide models for behavior and often help establish one’s identity, but if your ancestor was a “murderous creature banished by God,” (19) it’s hard to break yourself from being identified as being like that also. Grendel may or may not have the same values as demonstrated by Beowulf such as loyalty, bravery, and pride, or even any values in general. However, Grendel has never been given the opportunity to prove himself, and be seen in a somewhat positive light of not being such a hideous and bloodthirsty monster. One can sense that Grendel’s deep bitterness about being excluded from the celebration at the Herot can be attributed, in part, to his ill-fated status.
“So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall, Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend” (15-16). Hrothgar’s men awoke “the monster” out from all of their celebrating and carrying on. Grendel didn’t bother them until they started carrying on. Perhaps Grendel had hit his breaking point, a point at which he could no longer contain his rage and fury, much like how humans feel when they have reached their breaking point, when they get tired and bothered by something. Perhaps Grendel had reached the point, as we humans often do, of losing sight of his “values.” Grendel was irritated and bothered by society’s ostracism of him simply because of something he was “supposed” to be, but might not be.
