Journal 6: Analysis of Grendel's Mother

In the epic poem “Beowulf”, Grendel was a monster who terrorized an innocent village. The great warrior Beowulf sails to the land in order to aid the victims. When he defeats Grendel, there is an air of celebration. He who represented evil had been conquered. What the people did not understand, however, was that while Grendel was a merciless killer, he was not their biggest enemy. His mother, fiercer and mightier by far, was a much larger threat to the community. The death of her son incited her anger and provoked another reign of terror on the Danes. Grendel’s mother represents a much larger form of evil, though she seems to have very human qualities.
Grendel’s mother lived in the same slimy, dank cave as her son. Her scales were impenetrable by men’s swords. She, like her son, was a bloodthirsty killer who delighted in feeding on human flesh. As she crept through the darkness in which she dwelled, her scales would scrape the ground with a terrible noise. The scent of death followed wherever she went. Her teeth were stained with the blood of her victims, and in her breath one could almost hear their mournful whispers. Her claws were sharp and as strong as steel. She could effortlessly grip a victim or weapon and her grasp was firm. Though her strength was powerful and her ability awe-inspiring, Grendel’s mother has traits that make her seem familiar, even pitiable. Though she was hungry for flesh and driven by bloodlust, she did not attack the peaceful village which was sitting unprepared. She did not terrorize the innocent community like her son did. These actions did not begin until after the death of her son. Is a mother whose only son was brutally murdered, deserving or otherwise, to be expected not to retaliate when her foe is so easily defeated? Any human mother would be tempted to do the same. She restrained herself from the village until, in her eyes, the villagers attacked her son. She may not have known about his ravages, or may have seen the death of her son as a more treacherous act than the killings of mere warriors. She was driven mad with grief over seeing her son fatally wounded and having no way to save him. The only avengement she saw was revenge on those who caused her son