This extract centres on the climax of the first section of Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf; Grendel’s battle with Beowulf – the first of three monsters that Beowulf comes up against in the poem.
Throughout the extract it is not made explicit what type of creature Grendel is. The language used to present him is largely animalistic and inhuman: he is described as ‘hunting for prey’ (713) – not only painting Grendel as a predatory figure, but reducing the men inside the hall to little more than helpless creatures to be preyed upon, encapsulating the vicious nature of Grendel’s character. Grendel is further described throughout the passage as a ‘fiend’ (707) and ‘the captain of evil’ (749), evoking associations with Satan – strengthened further by his later will to escape to his ‘den and hide with the devil’s litter’ (755). While it is not made clear the exact type of creature Grendel is, it is evident that he is a strong and well-feared figure among the Danes, ‘the dread of the land’ (761); allowing Beowulf to be elevated to an almost god-like, beyond human rank by defeating him. The notion of Beowulf as god-like is reiterated later in the extract, as ‘the latching power’ in Grendel’s fingers is ‘weakened’ (763) by Beowulf’s grip, suggesting that Beowulf has the potency to
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The caesural pause; ‘Nor was it the first time / he had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar’s dwelling –‘(717), is the turning point in the extract, where Grendel’s previous destruction is contrasted with his impending doom upon his meeting with Beowulf. The ‘iron braced door’ (721) exemplifies the strength of the creature, as is ‘turned on its hinge when his hands touched it’ (722) – this reiterates the elevation of Beowulf to a god-like level as he is able to overcome the evident strength of