In the poem Beowulf, Grendel is described as a fearsome creature who has some very negative traits and whom some would hope that the hero would destroy. However, a deeper reading of the poem would reveal that Grendel was acting out of a deep-seated feeling of revenge for having been among the vanquished in the conquest by King Hrothgar and his men.
The poem states that 'he nurses a hard grievance', and that he was 'haunting the matches' or border where he was most likely exiled to. A reader of Grendel in this poem might likely understand Grendel's actions to be a result of these reasons.
