Grendel: The First Great Battle Of Beowulf

In his first great battle, he fought Grendel. The Danish king, Hrothgar built the great hall, Heorot. He was plagued for twelve years by the monster Grendel, whom was irritated by the noise of the king and his kingdom. Grendel snuck in at night, attacks and eats Hrothgar’s men. Beowulf and fourteen other soldiers sail to Heorot to defeat Grendel. As Beowulf is speaking to the king, he says he would battle Grendel unarmed. The king accepts and invites him to a feast with the other Danish warriors. As night falls, everyone leaves except for Beowulf and his men. Beowulf takes off his armor and weapons, and lies down to wait for Grendel while his men fearfully lie awake. "Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am! I could kill him with my sword;

And famous fighter, but his claws and teeth...beating at my sword blade, would be helpless. I will meet him with my hands empty-unless his heart fails him, seeing a soldier waiting weaponless, unafraid. Let God in His wisdom extend His hand where He wills, reward whom he chooses!" (677-687). Grendel began to creep up on the warriors, tears the door off its hinges and eats a warrior while Beowulf watches. Grendel reaches for Beowulf but before he can grasp, Beowulf snatches Grendel’s arm, wrestles him down, and rips Grendel’s arm out of his socket. Grendel retreats back to his swamp to die while Beowulf hold up the arm as a trophy and then hangs it on the Heorot’s wall. Hrothgar gives Beowulf lavish rewards, and adopts him as his ‘son.’ And the Danes begin to fix the great hall, which was destroyed in the battle. Beowulf insists on not battling with weapons because Grendel does not fight with one, and he wishes to battle on equal terms. Beowulf displays honor by fighting equally to the monster. Grendel is also charmed so weapons do not harm him; Beowulf does not know this though. "Not even the sharpest of swords could have cut it through, broken it off the monster 's arm and ended its life, as Beowulf had done armed only with his bare