I know that he represents something, but I do not know what it is.
The answer to your question is that both functions are correct. Glendell is a real monster of Beowulf, and he is also an example of a fable. Let's take a look at Grundel from two angles
As a physical monster, Glenn's explanation is rather ambiguous. He is known as "Devil from Hell" and "Dark Shadow of Death." Glendell is also said to have one or more nails and is very big. There is no more detailed information. However, he had a weapon, one of which was lowered in detail, bloody. Each viewer can imagine monsters based on their imagination. Obviously, he is a physical beast. He ate the people sleeping at the hero hall and steal their treasure.
Grendel is also a symbol. In other words, he symbolizes the sin of jealousy. His anger was the descendant of a caincain cursed forever for the killings of his brothers. He may also symbolize the idea that it was abandoned. Anglo-Saxon society is closely related. Warriors depend on each other. However, Glendell is a solitary ranger and a wanderer, and society and comrades do not call him self. This represents his opposition to Anglo-Saxon society. He has no paternity. This is clearly different from the Danish people who are introduced as a son of one person. Therefore, he is also an outsider who is not civilized.
In the original Beowulf plot, Grendel is a real monster. He threatened the people of Hrothgar for years and successfully killed them.
But remember, Beowulf is considered the first story written in English. This means that it has been told orally for many years and when actually written down it tells the monk who recorded it from a Christian's point of view. In this way, the entire story is an opportunity to show Christian 's views on traditional good and evil stories.
In other words, Cain is one of the two brothers who sacrificed God in Genesis (the Old Testament). As a result, God respected his brother Abel, Cain and killed Abel. If Glendell is the descendant of this person, he will symbolically have the same features and shame
In the medieval Christian culture, the term "monster" means congenital deficiency. Congenital deficiency is seen as a sign of God warning of the future of bad things. The killing of the monster Beowulf is considered to be symbolic. Glendell is descendant of Cain and is therefore considered to reflect the evils of the Scandinavian society. Dragon is interpreted as a symbol of sin because it expresses external malice that must be overcome to prove the "goodness" of the hero. Middleham is a symbol of society. It works as a place in the community, loyalty is rewarded, the story is spoken, the reputation is kept, and the tradition is kept. When Glendell was finally killed, the community was not necessarily destroyed but destroyed. The same can be said about Mead Hall. However, after the death of Glendell the festival represented a recovery. The rebuilding of Mead Hall also reflects the resurgence symbolizing the resurgence of the community.
Beowulf tells the story of the Danish kingdom from the 8th century to the 11th century (somewhere), and his beard hole is often attacked by a monster named Grundel. It's not cool, younger brother! Lego my beer hall! Then, the legendary (and arrogant!) Hero warrior, Beowulf, arrived and promised to kill Glendell. In return, the king of the village promised to give him the angle of a golden drink with a handle of the dragon. And it is equivalent to iPhone 3GS in its 8th - 11th century, its preciousness. That night, Beowulf took off all his clothes as he knew that his weapons were useless for this monster. Glendell appeared and began to kill fools, and Beowulf started from one of the supporting beams and landed on the back of Glendell and began to put him on the ears. Then he got a long chain from the swing chandelier and tied Glendell to the Die Hard style When the Grendel tried to escape, Beowulf struck his arm many times until his arm fell.