The eighth passage in Beowulf is the most suspenseful and exciting in the story.
The character of the monster Grendel, and the bravery of the hero, Beowulf, makes it
entertaining and full of torture. The huge killer is changed, by facing his first fear, into a
Grendel came at night to Herot and attacked the sleeping warriors intending to eat
them. After he ate the first man, he attempted to eat Beowulf, but he was a wakeful
sleeper and Beowulf grasped Grendel with his strong hands. Grendel was full of fear and
his first intention was to run and hide back at his marsh. Grendel fought for his freedom
not wanting any flesh. "Hell's Captive" was caught in the arms of the strongest man on
earth. At first it is calm and creepy with Grendel rising out of the marsh towards the
sleeping men in Herot. When he reaches them, the town trembles. The building was
built to withstand blows, "shaped and fastened with iron, inside and out." "...gold-
covered boards grating as Grendel and Beowulf battled across them", describes the
The calm and creepy setting keeps the reader in an alert state of mind waiting for
something to happen. "Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty hills and bogs, bearing
God's hatred, Grendel came, hoping to kill anyone he could trap on this trip to high
Herot." A picture of the gruesome creature Grendel appears, rising from the mists with a
deep intent to kill. The actual battle between Grendel and Beowulf represents good vs.
evil and is a turning point for Grendel in the story. It shows the power of the vicious
monster and how quickly it can be changed into fear. "Grendel snatched at his first Geat
he came to, ripped him apart, cut his body to bits with powerful jaws, drank the blood
from his veins and bolted him down, hands and feet; death and Grendel's g
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