... and tone to the entire poem. It helps to explain one of the great puzzles of our epic. Why the poet himself with a plot of mere fabulous adventures so much inferior to the splendid heroic setting, unless the narrative derived a superior dignity from suggesting the most exalted hero ... of the warriors of Herot who simply by being humans, stand with the favor of God. Thus in this description of the motive of Grendel is basis for the same three characteristics earlier named as found in the Old English SatanÆ'x: envy of the creative powers of God; a joyless ... new ancillary to the basica...

• Word Count: 2211
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate