More than a Monster In Beowulf, it showed us Grendel dying by Beowulf’s hand, when his mother finds out about his death she goes straight to Heoret to get revenge. She grabbed Aeschere, killed him, and this lead to Beowulf seeking her out to get rid of her as he did with Grendel. Beowulf was successful, after an underwater fight in her lake he took her down. Grendel’s mother is considered a monster by the pagans yet her motives, her human qualities, and her comparison to other characters prove that she is not as heartless or monstrous as she is perceived. A mother grieves when her children are harmed and Grendel’s mother is just that, a mother. Just because she is considered a descendent of Cain it does not mean she lacks emotions and this is clearly shown by her desire for revenge. The blood-feud, which was common for the middle ages, was a way for families to get compensation for the death of a loved one, and if they were not paid back it would result in bloodshed. This compensation was something Grendel’s mother wanted for her son’s death and her desire for revenge is similar to that of pagans who wanted …show more content…
She may be more barbaric than the queen of Heoret and considered a monster but considering the humans have done heinous actions that make them seem monstrous as well and it further proves appearance has nothing to do with classifying a monster. For example in the poem after Grendel’s death in the celebration, a bard told a tale about the fight between in-laws which resulted in death, we found out that they were former tribes that despised each other but a marriage between them could not contain years of misconceptions; blood was shed and the barbarisms of that scene shows that humans can perform deeds that are questionable and