Question

In a response of two to three sentences, explain how the action described in the following lines helps show Grendel as a monster.
"He beheld in the hall the heroes in numbers,
A circle of kinsmen sleeping together,
A throng of thanemen: then his thoughts were exultant,
He minded to sunder, from each of the thanemen
The life from his body"

Answer 1

First off when it projects that he minded to sunder from each of the thanemen the life from their body it's talking about how he basically killed them. logically, and obviously civilized folk wouldn't do that. when he says his thoughts were exulant it is talking about how sinister they are and evil basically supporting the fact that he is a monster.

Answer 2

Answer:

It shows how he is actually feeling happy thinking about how to dismember the men. Just the thought of killing these men is enough to give him "exultant thoughts".

Explanation:

The story of Beowulf can't be told without mentioning Grendel, the monster. The lines from the epic narrative show that he is among the sleeping men, most probably sneaking while they were in deep slumber.

When the narrator says

"his thoughts were exultant,

He minded to sunder, from each of the thanemen

The life from his body"

the narrator indirectly indicates that Grendel is a monstrous being. No normal being will have those types of thoughts and still be happy. But for Grendel, the mere thought of tearing the men apart, dismembering them, is enough to make him feel "exultant". triumphant, extremely happy. If just thinking can make him that happy, what will the real action make him feel, that's impossible to even comprehend.