He drew it / From its scabbard, broke the chain on its hilt, / And then, savage, no, angry / And desperate, lifted it high over his head / And struck with all the strength he had left, / Caught her in the neck and cut it through, / Broke bones and all. (633-643)
The battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother is significant because it was Beowulf’s way of putting Grendel’s mother in her place. The sword that Grendel’s mother is killed with is the only thing that could defeat her. The sword symbolized a man’s strength because of how big, long, and pointed it is. Beowulf did not take the head of Grendel’s mother back to show off as a symbol of his victory because killing a woman would not have been a big deal in that time period. The level of importance for a woman in that society was very low. They were looked down on. …show more content…
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