Beowulf: The Others

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The Others Beowulf, was written around 700- 750, the setting was in the 500s and it takes place in Denmark. There is no known author of the epic poem. In Beowulf there is a monstrous creature named Grendel, he is considered an “other” because he doesn’t follow the beliefs the Anglo-Saxons have. Grendel, who lives in the wilderness, is dishonorable and monstrous, he is casted as the other due to not adhering to Anglo-Saxons values. In the epic poem, Beowulf the Anglo-Saxons were considered to be very honorable people. Grendal lived with his mother at boiling lake in a cave, he lived away from the Anglo-Saxons due to his differences, making him a “other”. Grendel’s cave was disgusting, he would have dead Anglo-Saxons scattered all over. …show more content…

Grendel was a very angry person in the poem, if he would hear people listening to songs, or being loud he would get triggered. Grendel would go to the mead hall at night and attack the people sleeping there, making them easy to get ahold of without them fighting back. Grendel was afraid to fight an honorable combat, which made him a coward. Beowulf goes to find Grendel so they can have a face to face battle. In the battle Beowulf tears off Grendel’s arm and keeps it as a souvenir. Instead of dying in battle, the way a Anglo-Saxon should, Grendel left to die somewhere else, “Grendel escaped, but wounded as he was could flee to his den, his miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh” (Beowulf 341) Grendel died not giving a blood price. Making him a coward for not dying honorable in …show more content…

Grendel was very big, he had enough power to kill thirty men at once. When Grendel would sneak into the mead hall, he casted a spell on all the warriors weapons so they couldn’t hurt him “The hardest iron could not scratch at his skin”. Even though Grendel was big he was also very quiet not waking up anyone sneaking into the mead hall . Smashing thirty Anglo-Saxon men “slipped through the door and there in the silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them” (Beowulf 36) and carrying each of them back to his cave, Grendel would feast on their flesh; tearing them limb from limb. Grendel was big and considered to be monstrous but he wasn’t brave or honorable. Being a coward is what “othered” Grendel from the Anglo-Saxons, due to their beliefs in being

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