Grendel's Attack In 'Beowulf'

In the story of Beowulf, there is a monster named Grendel, who ravages king Hrothgar and the town of Herot. Beowulf isn’t your typical villain. He isn’t brash and is almost unknown. His identity remains a mystery throughout the story, and he uses slyness to elude detection by performing his grueling tasks at night. This villain has striking similarities to that of the recent terrorists attacks. The following quote shows how Grendel’s attack correlates with that of the terrorists. “He found them sprawled in sleep, suspecting nothing, their dreams undisturbed. The monster’s thoughts were as quick as his greed or his claws: He slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowing in their beds and ran out with their bodies.” The previous lines show how Grendel’s attack was similar to that of terrorists. Grendel came along unsuspecting, and he snatched up his victims unknowing. Although the attacks of September 11th are not verbatim
It is somewhat difficult to point and define whom the modern-day Beowulf is. In my opinion, the modern-day Beowulf is the will and resolve of the American people. They showed the courage to stand up against these attacks and return to their everyday life. In the months following the attacks, many people were afraid to fly, drive, and travel, but after time common sense and confidence was restored in the American people. Americans soon went back to their everyday lives. In the story it states that, “Hate had triumphed”and “Herot stood empty and stayed deserted for years.” This represents the recovery time that America had to go through in the months and years following the attacks. Hate really had triumphed for some time, because the terrorist had succeeded in instilling fear and uncertainty in the minds of