In the article “Alas, Poor Grendel,” Robert L. Chapman analyzes the author of Beowulf and his beliefs based on his depiction of Grendel in the poem. Drawing his own conclusions and using other sources as support, Chapman emphasizes that the poet expresses sympathy towards Grendel, despite all the harsh terms used for his description. He uses numerous phrases and makes it clear that Grendel is doomed and destined for a sad, miserable, and evil life. He knew that the monster had been cursed at birth because he was a descendant of Cain; however, it's not the monster's fault. Grendel was who he was by his nature, and not by his will, thus making him a victim of God. Despite all his murders, Grendel technically committed no sin because he never went against his destiny or God's will . The author of the poem described compassion and sympathy for Grendel in his work because he believed this fate was unjust, thus demonstrating his "incomplete commitment to the doctrine of Providence, and that this indicates not a naive orthodoxy but a false reservation." (Chapman 335). It is unclear how any self-conscious Christian could have felt compassion for such a demonic beast. The poet either had difficulty realizing Grendel, had two conflicting emotions and went back and forth between them, which left its imprint on his work, or there was more than one author. However, it is also clear that the poet is still primarily interested in Beowulf (the human), and perhaps adapted Grendel into a suitable adversary, as the monster was a new concept at the time. Finally, Chapman concludes that the poet was a “Christian not entirely purged of pagan self-sufficiency” (337) or a “Christian quivering with Pelagianism” (337) whose sympathy for Grendel arises from unlimited and unsubmissive human will. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay I find it very interesting that you can talk about someone's religion, morals, and beliefs based on their relationship with a character they created. By analyzing the time period in which the poet wrote his work, Chapman is able to interpret the feelings expressed towards Grendel and where they came from. However, I disagree with Chapman when he proposes the idea that the poet thought Grendel's fate was unfair. While there are mixed feelings about Grendel, I believe the intent was to make the monster more interesting. Although the author refers to Grendel as "demon" (133), "soul-killer" (177), "brute cursed by God" (121), and other strong terms, he makes it clear that Grendel was cursed at birth. . By adding human characteristics to Grendel, I think the monster becomes even more evil because he understands what he is doing and the consequences of his actions. However, Grendel's purpose in life is to fight heroes, and if he stops his demolitions, he will lose his purpose. In my opinion, Grendel's decision to choose himself over the lives of many people is truly evil and selfish. Therefore, the potential choices versus the choices made by Grendel demonstrate his true monstrosity, which I believe is what the author was trying to portray. As mentioned in the article, the author mainly sympathizes with Beowulf, who is a hero different from others. Therefore, he needed a monster that was not like the others. By showing Grendel's selfishness, the author brings him closer to humans and gives him a dimension that makes him a worthy enemy..