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Grendel's Three Monsters In The Epic Of Beowulf

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Beowulf encounters three monsters that make him the epic hero that he is.
In the beginning of the story he faces Grendel a descendant of Cain, the father of all demons. Grendel has all the characteristics of a monster, but he also shows many qualities of a human. The reason for his terror is his loneliness, jealousy, and being an outcast. For Beowulf, the news of Grendel is hard to ignore, so he comes to Heorot to kill Grendel. Foster, an expert on all things literature says, “... Someone tells our protagonist, our hero, who need not look very heroic, to go somewhere and do something” (Foster 3). As soon as Beowulf hears about the thirty men that Grendel killed and the abandoned mead hall, he makes it his mission to kill the evil monster. This fight between Beowulf and Grendel is a hand to hand battle, showing the pure,brute strength of Beowulf. “ And I shall fulfill that purpose, prove myself with a …show more content…

Fifty years has passed since Beowulf defeated Grendel’s mother and a lot has changed. He is now the ruler of his own empire. His time as king is peaceful until a dragon emerges from its hole that he has been hiding in. The dragon creates havoc and burns down everything including Beowulf’s mead hall. For Beowulf, this is unacceptable and he gathers a few warriors to help kill the dragon. During the fight, Beowulf’s sword is no match for the dragon. This is when Wiglaf, the bravest of his men comes to help Beowulf kill the dragon. The duel between Beowulf and the dragon is his third and final battle that eventually ends his life. “So every man should act, be at hand when needed; but now, for the king, this would be the last of his many labors and triumphs in the world” (183). This fight is similar to the other fights in the sense that Beowulf is willing to risk his life for the greater good of the people. He will win the fight or die

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