Examples Of Grendel In Beowulf

Grendel’s theorem is "For every action of the human heart there is an equal and opposite reaction." I interpret Grendel’s law as stating that there is something in other people that counterbalances what is in you and what is in each other; for example, if a bad person has a truly evil heart, then there is a person out there somewhere who is just as good as this person is bad, and the two balance each other. Grendel is the evil, and Beowulf is the good. Grendel is the darkness and Beowulf and the Danes are the light. Grendel’s law does seem to be true throughout the story. Grendel is so evil and cruel, that only someone with an extreme amount of goodness and bravery can defeat him. This is why not any ordinary soldier is able to take on Grendel. …show more content…
If Grendel was an ordinary monster, then an ordinary soldier could defeat him. But because Grendel represents all the darkness and evil in the world, and because he is corrupted with a mind full of hatred and anger, it takes the mighty and strong Beowulf to match him. Beowulf is the symbol of all hope in the world. He represents the good of all mankind. Without the “light” that Beowulf provides, the world would be plagued with the darkness and evil that Grendel represents. The world would be a cold and bleak place. Grendel truly believes this of the world. He believes that there is no good and that the world is nothing. In the monsters head, he feels man is stupid for trying to put meaning to life. Initially in the novel, Grendel could have been swayed to go either way, but he inevitably falls to the side of evil. His own “curse” made him feel like there is no point in life. This makes him grown dark and cold in his heart. Beowulf on the other hand feels like it is his duty to save the Danes. This allows for him to instill hope in the heart of the Danish people. This hope opens the door for the light of humanity to come and illuminate the earth and shun all the evil that Grendel