Heroes triumphing over monsters is a major theme in Beowulf, with characters being clearly on one side or the other. Often, however, heroes and monsters share characteristics, making the distinction between what makes someone good or evil more blurred. They share similarities to show how thin of a line there is between being a hero and a monster, and how easy it is to go down the wrong path. In Beowulf, the word fire is used to draw the similarities between Grendel and Beowulf, as well as to highlight what makes Grendel and monster and Beowulf a hero. Fire first appears to describe the death of Grendel, and emphasizes the characteristics that make him a monster. After being defeated by Beowulf, Grendel, dying, flees back to his den, and sinks
