In the epic, we see examples of Beowulf glorifying himself in the path of righteousness. He is portrayed as being the hero while Grendel is the monster needed to be slain. Good cannot be present without evil. How do you determine who fills each role? We must remind ourselves that there are two sides to every story. Is Beowulf the hero or just a celebrated killer? The question to be asked is, “Just because we only see the bad qualities in someone, does that make them a monster?
All the townspeople have ever known is Grendel kills everyone and destroys everything. All they see is destruction and evil. What if there is a reason for grendel to be the way he is.(“Seeking no peace, offering No truce, accepting no settlement, no price In gold or land, and paying the living for one crime only with another. No one waited for reparation from his plundering claws that shadow of death hunted in the darkness, stalked Hrothgar's warriors.” Beowulf pg 28) the quote shows Grendel's devotion
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Everyone identifies Beowulf as a hero, a beloved slayer of monsters and a savior. Beowulf was a killer, whether it be to protect people or just out of ignorance, the cold hard facts show he was a killer. Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off and succeeds to fatally wound him. He thinks he is protecting everyone from a monster. Is he killing the beast? or is he killing a creature with a lot of pain and suffering that is just taking it out on others and just needs love. Grendel is not fully independent and still has his mother for protection. He is young and is still learning right from wrong. Nobody wants to try and understand why Grendel is the way he is or why he is killing people. Grendel is seen as a terrible, evil monster. All anyone has to do is go talk to Grendel's mother, maybe ask why he is in such pain and what they can do to stop the killings. Why not have an annual offering for Grendel as a sort of peace offering? Sacrifice a lamb or the blacksmith's