Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon are all Beowulf's enemies who all wreak havoc on innocents. This brings the great warrior Beowulf to come and fight them until he dies in battle. When Beowulf is at a young and strong age, all he wants to do is fight and appear larger than life to everyone around him and those who hear. its history. The first monster he encounters is a demon named Grendel. Grendel wreaks havoc on the Danish warriors, jealous of being a spawn of Cain, which forces him to drift through the world without a companion and remain alone forever (Bodek). Grendel's family lives in Middle Earth and all they do is plan and attack the man (Lee). Grendel is angry at all humans and instead of trying to make peace, which he has no reason to do, he ultimately decides to kill (Irving). Grendel's torture of Herot had become so popular; stories traveled to other countries (Beowulf). Because the stories had traveled far and wide, Beowulf soon heard of the torture inflicted on the innocent. Beowulf, full of himself, tries to prove his heroism by fighting in dangerous ways that often do not prove his heroism (Vaught). With this mindset, Beowulf decides to fight Grendel without armor, weapons, or help. The night before, a big party is held in the meed hall to get Grendel out of his hole in the ground. Everyone is interested in Beowulf's travels and his previous victories. As Beowulf tells his story, he then gains confidence and is no longer afraid or nervous about his meeting with Grendel (Tolkien). When Grendel finally shows up at the meed hall, no words are exchanged. Beowulf, completely naked, attacks. The fight between Beowulf and Grendel is an all-out fight middle of paper ...... of Eden: Four essays on the conception of old English poetry. Alvin A. Lee. Yale University Press, 1972. 171-223. Rep. in criticism of classical and medieval literature. Ed. Dennis Poupard and Jelena O. Krstovic. Flight. 1. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13, 2014. Tolkien, JRR “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” Proceedings of the British Academy 22 (1936): 245-295. Rep. in Criticism of World Literature, Supplement 1-2: A selection of major authors from Gale's literary criticism series. Ed. Polly Vedder. Flight. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1997. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13, 2014. Vaught, Jacqueline. “Beowulf: The Fight at the Center.” Allegorica 5.2 (winter 1980): 125-137. Rep. in poetic criticism. Ed. Carol T. Gaffke and Anna J. Sheets. Flight. 22. Detroit: Gale Research, 1999. Gale Library Resources. Internet. January 13. 2014.