In the book the monster displays the human characteristic of hatred on more than one occasion. At one point in the novel Grendel is furious with Wealtheow:

I would kill her and teach them reality. Grendel the truth-teacher, phantasm-

tester! It was what I would be from this day forward-my commitment, my

character as long as I lived-and nothing alive or dead cou

Throughout the book, Grendel displays many traits that would lead the reader to believe that he is almost human. On the other hand he still seems unable to escape that which he is at heart; a beast. Some human qualities that he possesses are hatred and loneliness but still he cannot hold back his more animal traits like bloodlust. Grendel¹s personality is a hybrid of mixed human emotions and animal instincts and interspersed throughout every page is an almost elegant balance between the two. Sometimes he lets out his feelings of hatred when he talks of his secret love, Wealtheow. Other times his loneliness gets the best of him when he thinks about the Danes becoming more and more unified through every line the Shaper articulates. But even his most primal instincts cannot be suppressed when his craving for flesh is strong. Overall, the novel portrays Grendel as a monster walking the thin red line between human emotions and primal instincts. Every so often he will slip into either category but eventually finds that balance again.

Here Grendel is showing that the Shaper¹s tales no longer make him feel terrible about himself but instead enrage him. Grendel¹s hatred for the Shaper runs deep because he feels that his fraudulent tales of triumph and heroism inspire the Danes and give them confidence and hope. These feelings in turn lead to companionship and unity which again are things that represent what Grendel could never have or be a part of. He feels that he has been cursed and would never be accepted so he hates the Shaper and all humans for being able to experience these feelings that are almost alien to Grendel.

Another occasion in which Grendel displays the feeling of hatred is when he speaks of the Shaper and what he does to the Danes:

In this quote Grendel is expressing his need to kill Wealtheow to teach the Danes that reality is not ideal but in actuality he displays his feelings of hatred for her because she represents everything Grendel can¹t have. Throughout this chapter Grendel speaks of his infatuation with Wealtheow and how her perfect looks and her always kind manner constantly tease him. This is because Grendel thinks that Wealtheow is beautiful and basically has a ³thing² for h

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