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Why does Grendel attack Heorot?
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Beowulf
Beowulf preparing to cut off the head of the monster Grendel, illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race, 1910.
In the Old English poem Beowulf, Grendel attacks the mead hall of Heorot because he is provoked by the joyous noise and celebration occurring within it.1
As an outcast and a descendant of the biblical Cain, Grendel is depicted as an evil monster who harbors resentment toward human society. For 12 years, he terrorizes King Hrothgar’s warriors, frequently visiting the hall to carry off and devour those inside. Many literary critics interpret Grendel as an embodiment of physical and moral evil, representing a threat to the community and civilization itself.21