Grendel is a descendent of Cain, who haunts and terrorizes the men of King Hrothgar. Grendel is perceived as the evil that rots the earth. However, while reading the book one can’t help but feel sympathy for Grendel as he goes through a transition to find out who he is and where he belongs. Grendel’s relationship with language is a very complex and complicated one. Through the story he shows a hatred of it because he has no one to talk to, but also a love of it as he can express himself and understand the expressions of others through the use of language. At the beginning of the novel, Grendel shows a fascination for language. This fascination may have been brought upon by the stories of the Shaper. He loves how complex and expressive it is. Language can be changed to express any opinion, emotion or philosophy. However, further into the story Grendel goes through a transformation. His views of the world are dramatically changed based on several philosophies that he experiences and listens to. He begins to dislike humans and have a hatred of the world and all things living in it. His language and speech enter a transition in which it becomes simple rather than always questioning everything with complexity. "Think sweating beast! Look up and think!” (114). “Darkness.” (142)
