The monsters that played a vital role in the fights were Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. These monsters are depicted as sinful and deadly creatures that disturb people’s peace by attacking them. The poem describes Grendel as a sin-stained creature that used to kill and terrorize the Danes often. Grendel’s mother is depicted as an enraged and vengeful monster who comes to attack the Danes due to her son’s death at the hands of Beowulf. Similarly, the dragon is also described as an enraged and vengeful creature that attacks the people of Geatland as an act of revenge for someone who tried to steal the treasure he was guarding. This attribute is captured in the poem when it states, “Grendel’s mother, a woman, a monstrous woman, mindful of misery, who had to abide as a water-terror…” (Beowulf 1258-1261).
The three creatures are not sympathetic characters because they unleashed terror on the people without any provocation. The fact that Grendel’s mother and the dragon were on a revenge mission shows that they were mean characters ready to kill people they considered their enemies. The fact that they sought to kill people for their sake makes them deadly and sinful creatures. Beowulf is seen as a redeemer to people when he slays the dragons. He is taken as a hero who has helped the people rid themselves of dangerous and deadly creatures, making people fear. The poem demonstrates this by words like “…until their lonely opponent made evil upon them, the fiend from hell. That ferocious spirit was named Grendel.” It shows how deadly and mean the monsters were and the fear they instilled in people (Beowulf 99-101).
Work Cited
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf.