Grendel's Mother

(John Howe)

Another monster from the poem “Beouwulf” is Grendel's mother. She is not as massive or as treacherous as her foul son, but she is driven by revenge. Her son returns to their cave lethally injured by Beowulf, with one of his arms torn clean off from its shoulder. He dies from his wounds as his mother watches helplessly. She does not mourn for long before she tries to seek her revenge. She does not hide away but instead seeks out Beowulf for the wrongdoing he has placed upon her in taking her only child. While the Danes celebrate the death of Grendel, the mother crawls into the great hall, reclaiming her son's arm and murdering everyone in her path. Eventually Beowulf strikes against her as well leaving behind no evident creatures in the Kingdom. Grendel’s mother is predominantly presented as a heartless monster but her actions only negate this conception. All of her actions resemble that of a woman scorned. This is a most human reaction to such a situation. In observing her actions, versus her position within the story as another monster for Beowulf to overcome, it must be acknowledged that her true role is that of a loving mother.