GRENDEL: Demonic Soul or Lonely and Envious

GRENDEL: 

Demonic Soul OR Lonely and Envious?

by Julia Loewen

Grendel, one of the terrifying monsters in Beowulf, is portrayed as ugly and evil as possible, living in the lonesome swamps outside of Heorot. Every night, after watching men laugh and sing in Heorot, he goes into the Hall and kills the people without the slightest bit of mercy. Though envy cannot be used as an excuse for this crime, it can be argued that Grendel is not the heartless, evil demon that he may seem to be to the characters of Beowulf. 

Grendel was notorious in his time for his merciless, malevolent actions, but no one seemed to stop and think of life in the eyes of Grendel. He spent day after day watching the men of Heorot live their perfect lives, while he lurked the lifeless swamps outside of the Hall. When night came, he had heard enough of their songs and laughter, and took his jealousy and anger out on the people.  The next morning, the other men who, "...knew not of sorrow, misery of men, aught of misfortune"(3) failed to see Grendel's sad, lonely soul under all of his anger and jealousy. Grendel's actions were very immoral, but his lonesome soul could have been the root of his evil. 

To other Beowulf readers, Grendel may seem to be filled with nothing but sin. Grendel was a real-life nightmare to the innocent people of Heorot, and his soul had no emotion but rage. He destroyed the lives of many when he came into the Hall, "...grim and ravenous, savage and raging..."(3), and a soul like that does not have any emotion but depravity.
Ultimately, Grendel was a deserted soul by day, and a vicious murderer by night. The question is, deep down inside, was Grendel not as evil as he seemed?