The Devil Figure: Grendel is depicted as being the devil figure in the epic poem Beowulf. The devil figure is described as being mean and evil, who harms innocent people. The devil figure is usually defeated by the epic hero. "Conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's death" (Raffel pg. 42).
The Outcast: Outcasts are usually characters that are left out of a social group for either a real or imagined crime against his men. In this case, Grendel is the outcast in the land of the Danes. Grendel is emotionally as well as physically different from the rest of the men. It was believed that he was a monster born of Cain. Being an outcast is what triggered his attacks on Herot hall. "Conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's death" (Raffel pg.42).
The Hero: Beowulf is the perfect example of an epic hero in Beowulf. "They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies blood" (Raffel pg. 47-48).
Hunting Group of Companions: The loyal companions willing to risk their lives and face hardships in order to stay together, standing by each others sides. When Beowulf traveled to Denmark, he brought fourteen of his mightiest men to help him slay the evil Grendel. The night that Beowulf fought the monster, his men stood beside him ready to fight. "All of Beowulf's band had jumped from their beds, ancestral swords raised and ready, determined to protect their prince if they could" (Raffel pg. 50).
Mentor-Pupil Relationship: In this relationship, the mentor teaches the pupil the skills needed to survive upcoming quests. Hrothgar and Beowulf present a good example of how this relationship should be. Hrothgar warned Beowulf of the dangers of Grendel's mother and what she was capable of before Beowulf made the decision to battle her. "One of the devils was a female creature. The other, they say, walked through the wilderness like a man-but mightier than any man" (Raffel pg. 52).
Situational Archetypes
Good vs. Evil: This is a battle between two main forces. The good and courageous warrior Beowulf, against the evil demon Grendel represents this good vs. evil archetype. "I had a Fixed Purpose when I put to sea. As i sat in the boat, with my band of men, I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in the attempt, in the fiends clutches. And I shall fulfill that purpose, Prove myself with a proud deed or meet my death here in the mead-hall" (Raffel pg. 632-638).
The Quest: The quest archetype is what the hero must to do in order to bring back peace and order to a troubled land. The hero, Beowulf, has three battles throughout this epic poem: the battle with Grendel, the battle with Grendel's mother, and the battle with the Dragon. Beowulf kills Grendel because he had been terrorizing the people of Denmark at night and would kill groups at a time (Raffel 49-51). This caused Grendel's mother to become infuriated, so she proceeded to kill one of Hrothgar's closest friends. Beowulf solved this by defeating Grendel's mother to protect the safety of other civilians (Raffel pg. 52-56). Many years pass before Beowulf's land was attacked by a fire-breathing dragon. The dragon saw footprints leading the treasure he was protecting so he began terrorizing the people. Beowulf then, with the help of his warrior Wiglaf, slayed the Dragon, bringing peace and fertility back to the land and the people (Raffel pg. 56-61)
Symbolic Archetypes
The Magic Weapon: The magic weapon is one that the hero uses to complete his quest. In his quest to terminate Grendel's mother, he uses a massive magic sword he found hanging on the wall in Grendel's mothers cave. "He then saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered and blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons, but so massive that no ordinary man could lift its carved and decorated length" (Raffel pg. 54)