word alone would be crazy; to do it with no armor or sword would be labeled suicide. The idea would be to gather a strong group of men, and kill the beast at his lair. But Beowulf wouldn't have any such plan, for he was a strong believer in wyrd. His bread and water was fame, and he was going to get it any way he could. This was a great opportunity to spread his great name even further across the lands, by fighting and defeating a beast that had killed so many soldiers beforehand. Not only would he defeat it, but he would do it with no weapons or armor. Beowulf soon confronts the beast and as planned, he fights Grendel and tears off one of his arms, ridding the great Danes king of this problem. His actions though impose a new problem on them. Now Grendels mother seeks revenge.
             The fight between Grendels' mother is an important turning point in the story. This is when Beowulf's "super-human" strength begins to wane, and the reader sees that even for a medieval super hero, some thing's are best done with sword and shield and armor. We now are introduced to a force that is little by little weakening Beowulf. It wasn't seen with the fight against Grendel, but is being revealed with the fight against Grendel's mother. Beowulf is slowly aging and becoming less and less powerful then the day before, he also is losing strength due to not enough rest. This is all because of the fight versus the monster we can't escape nor vanquish; time.
             "Then Beowulf Began to fasten on his armor,Not afraid for his life but knowing the wovenMail, with its hammered links, could saveThat life when he lowered himself into the lake,Keep slimy monsters' claws from snatching atHis heart, preserve him for the battle that he was sent to fight."(68).
             This sort of extra added security and assurance wasn't seen, in the past Beowulf, the one who had slain Grendel and had insisted on fighting the bea...