Section Three – Summary and Analysis: The Battle between Grendel and Beowulf

Beowulf is touched by the warmth extended to him in the banquet. He informs Queen Wealhtheow and the other Danes that he might either succeed in killing Grendel or lose his life battling the “superhuman creature.” After the feast concludes, Hrothgar and his warriors leave Heorot. As part of Beowulf’s strategy to deal with Grendel, Beowulf and his retainers decide to spend the night in Heorot, waiting for Grendel to strike.

As expected, Grendel emerges from his underwater cave and approaches Heorot menacingly. The poem posits a contrast between Grendel’s dark cave hidden deep in a swamp with the joyful mood in Heorot. Grendel is a humanoid with demonic features and superhuman strength. Despite his gigantic body, Grendel does resemble humans, nonetheless.

The poem then describes the dramatic manner in which Grendel barges into Heorot and finds his potential victims asleep. As planned, Beowulf pretends to be asleep so that Grendel can be caught unaware. To this end, he even allows Grendel to disembowel and devour one of his warriors. He does so to observe Grendel’s mode of attack, but this is in violation of the bond between a hero and his retainers. It is also debatable if Beowulf was morally right in sacrificing the life of one of his retainers to learn about Grendel.

After devouring the man, Grendel moves on to his next victim. To his utter disbelief, Grendel finds that his claw has been held tightly. He realizes that the person clutching his claw must have incredible strength. A violent combat breaks out between Grendel and Beowulf. Taken aback by Beowulf’s strength and daring, Grendel briefly considers escaping back to his cave. However, Grendel is unable to free his claw. Their ferocious battle rattles Heorot like never before, and soon Beowulf seems to be overpowering Grendel. This makes the reader wonder if Grendel might have stopped attacking Heorot long ago had he been confronted by Hrothgar’s warriors.

Beowulf remains true to his word and faces Grendel without a weapon and the protection of any armor Click here to enter text. He is keen to prove his valor to Hrothgar and his warriors. Though he would not have been faulted for using a weapon, he realizes that confronting Grendel with his bare hands would bring him more esteem. Later, however, Beowulf will use a sword to kill Grendel’s mother. The poem suggests that honor had been as important as fame for the warrior class.Click here to enter text.. He is keen to prove his valor to Hrothgar and his warriors. Though he would not have been faulted for using a weapon, he realizes that confronting Grendel with his bare hands would bring him more esteem. Later, however, Beowulf will use a sword to kill Grendel’s mother. The poem suggests that honor had been as important as fame for the warrior class.

Hrothgar and his warriors hear the sounds of battle from Heorot even though they are far away from the mead hall. At first, they are doubtful of Beowulf’s capacity to deal with Grendel. They recall that many battle-hardened fighters had failed to defeat Grendel earlier. They are also struck by the willingness of Beowulf’s retainers to risk their lives by agreeing to sleep in Heorot awaiting Grendel’s attack. Though some of Beowulf’s men are ready with their weapons, the poem reminds readers that Grendel has been granted a boon, which ensures he cannot be harmed by weapons.

At the end of the fierce battle in the mead hall, Beowulf pulls apart Grendel’s claw at the shoulder. Though Grendel manages to sneak out of Heorot and reach his swamp, he eventually succumbs to the wound. Beowulf then hangs Grendel’s claw in Heorot as a sign of his triumph.

The next morning, people from far and wide arrive to have a look at Grendel’s claw. The Danes are in a festive mood. Beowulf has managed to silence the skeptics. Meanwhile, a few men follow Grendel’s footprints, which lead them to the lake, which is stained with Grendel’s blood.

On their way back, the men run into a scop, who tells them stories. Among the stories he shares is the story of Beowulf’s success in Denmark. The poet then contrasts Heremond’s fall from grace with Beowulf’s success and Hrothgar’s wisdom.

Hrothgar is jubilant that his kingdom is free from Grendel’s cruelty. He thanks God and congratulates Beowulf on his victory. Beowulf relates his version of the fight with Grendel. Later, Hrothgar’s retainers undertake repairs in Heorot, which had been badly damaged during Beowulf and Grendel’s fight. The enthusiasm with which Heorot is repaired highlights the significance it holds for King Hrothgar. With the slaying of Grendel, the joyful ambience within Heorot is also brought back. Symbolically, Heorot represents a place of light, whereas Grendel’s cave in the swamp is a place of darkness. It must also be remembered that Grendel used to attack Heorot only under the cover of darkness.

The next night, Heorot hosts a grand banquet reminiscent of the festive ambience before Grendel began attacking it. At the banquet, Hrothgar felicitates Beowulf, recognizing his crucial role in securing the safety of the people of Denmark. Hrothgar eulogizes Beowulf’s bravery and showers him with precious gifts. By slaying Grendel, Beowulf has put himself on an equal footing with Hrothgar. The banquet thus adds a new dimension to the longstanding relationship between Hrothgar and Beowulf: it is also a celebration of Beowulf’s repayment of his father’s debt to Hrothgar.

As is customary, Hrothgar thanks God for ensuring Beowulf’s triumph. Meanwhile, Beowulf highlights his part in their victory over Grendel, without denying God’s role in it. He indicates that he surely had God’s grace but seeks to claim some credit for the triumph. It is likely that the plot for Beowulf may have initially been developed by the Germanic people as a Pagan tale. Later forms of the poem, however, reflect the advent of Christianity in England, which might have obligated the poet to credit Beowulf’s victory to God’s grace, and not portray it as the adventure of a mortal. This episode projects the gradual recession of Pagan culture and the expansion of Christianity to new frontiers in Europe.

The banquet also features an embedded narrative: that is, it features a small story, supplementing the main narrative with its subplots. This was a common literary device used in oral traditions of the time. Scops, in particular, employed this technique to develop short narratives with a focus on questions of morality and heroism. In Beowulf, a scop narrates The Finnsburh epic during the banquet.

The Finnsburh epic features King Hnaef, ruler of the Half-Danes, and King Finn, the king of Frisia. They are brothers-in-law: Finn’s wife Hildeburh is Hnaef’s sister. The Frisians attack the Half-Danes, killing King Hnaef and many of his warriors. In the bloodshed, Hildeburh’s son loses his life. As a result, Queen Hildeburh finds herself in a moral quandary. The kingdoms seem to be locked in a never-ending battle. Eventually, a truce is reached, but it does not bury the hostility between them. The onset of winter compels the Half-Danes to stay back in Frisia. When spring arrives, they decide to return home and to exact revenge. In the battle that ensues, King Finn and his soldiers are killed. Hildeburh joins the Half-Danes on their journey back home.

Beowulf only gives marginal roles to women, but some of them are women with tremendous resolve. Hildeburh must make up her mind about an issue that is both political and personal. When Hnaef and Finn go to war, Hildeburh faces the dilemma of having to choose between, on the one hand, her husband and son, and, on the other, her brother. She is struck by grief when both of them are killed in battle. She joins the Half-Danes on their way back home because she believes there is no happiness left for her in Frisia.

At this juncture, the scop shifts his focus from Hildeburh to Wealhtheow as a foreshadowing of the widowhood she will soon endure. The epic poem repeatedly references a tragedy during all celebratory occasions to indicate the temporal nature of wealth and pride. The feast commemorating Beowulf’s victory over Grendel continues with Wealhtheow presenting Beowulf precious gifts, thereby cementing the relationship between Denmark and Geatland.