Beowulf

The vicious monster, Grendel, crouched down rubbing his grimy hands together, his yellow eyes gleaming, plotting his next attack on the innocent citizens of Heorot. What is his motivation? Is it instinct? Blood thirst? In the case of the sea monsters, that Beowulf slayed in his swimming match with Breca, is their motivation the same as what fuels Grendel and his mother 's hatred? This idea of evil could present a foreshadow of malice and scorn, both of which play parts in the poem, Beowulf. Racing through the waters, neck and neck are Beowulf and Breca. A hostile creature lies below awaiting a human appetizer. He roars and shoots out of the crest of the wave to make a snap at Beowulf. Beowulf turns and strikes at the hideous monster only to find that more appear. Breca, far ahead by now, conquers many travesties as well, though not as many as Beowulf. It is said that Breca came about the stronger man; on the contrary, he fought fewer monsters than Beowulf. Beowulf 's loss provoked the questioning by Unferth along with his jealousy of having someone be more accomplished than he. " ' Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca/ in a swimming match on the open sea,/ risking the waters just to prove that you could win?/ You waded in, embracing the water,/ and then he out-swam you,/ came ashore the stronger contender/ ' " (page 35, lines 506-518). What is Unferth 's jealousy a sign of? Maybe a foreshadow of future disagreement and war? That lies in the hands of the God-cursed Grendel, planning attack on the unsuspecting people. As he was earlier, Grendel plans his encounter with the Danes. He carefully plans his purpose and his strike upon the soldiers lying asleep in their beds. He crept up to the doors of the castle, " the iron-braced door/ turned on its hinge when his hands touched it/ " (page 49 lines 721-722). The outlier bent over in rage, screaming at the top of his lungs, destroying anything in his path. The fire blazed inside of him, awaiting the so-called