Laura Schonfeld

I found it very interesting to see and important to note the allusions to the Bible scattered throughout Beowulf. One example is when the author refers to "Cain's clan" and the killing of Abel towards the beginning of the story to describe Grendel. Grendel is described as an ancestor or Cain, the son of Adam who killed his own brother. The author's use of the comparison reveals that his intended audience was probably literate Christians who would be able to know and understand these biblical allusions. The author uses these allusions to create a sense of othering between the great God-fearing people and this monster Grendel. Those religious figures reading this story could relate to this feeling of hate towards those outcasts and better sympathize with Beowulf.