Similarities between Grendel and Cain
In the story of Beowulf, both Christian and pagan elements are seen. Grendel
and his mother are both described as descendants of Cain. The figure of Cain is
used metaphorically during the period to represent chaos and the presence of
evil. In the bible, Cain kills his brother, Abel, because of jealousy and is
therefore punished and banished from the Garden of Eden by God. To the
Anglo-Saxons, the worst crime a person can commit is the crime of fratricide,
the killing of one's own brother. Their society and culture was deeply structured
around themes of brotherhood and kinship.
There are many similarities between Grendel and Cain. First, it is stated that
after Cain killed his brother, he drinks his blood. (Williams, 45) This is
typically something that Grendel does after he kills his victims. Cain and his
descendants were believed to have magical power, such as being able to shift
their shapes and to have bright shining eyes. Grendel also has these magical
powers. He is able to cast a spell on the warriors' swords, so that they cannot
harm him.
The most significant similarity between Grendel and Cain, is that they are both
outcasts of society and have to roam in the shadows. They are outside looking
inside. They are outside threats to the order of society as shown by Grendel
with the Danes. In Beowulf, the mead hall, Heorot, is the symbol of peace. It is
the place where the warriors gather in a spirit of brotherhood and harmony to
celebrate. When Grendel is first introduced in the story, the audience is told
that he is enraged at the festivities and the sound of laughter that he is hearing
while he is alone in his mere.
Therefore, Grendel represents "a monstrous outsider enraged by the joy of
brotherhood and society from which he is forever banished. His enmity towards
Heorot is grounded solely in this moral perversion, which is another example of
the hatred of the good simply because it is good." (Williams, 45.) Grendel
exhibits his envy towards the warriors as Cain did to his brother, Abel, so long
ago.