he central conflict of Beowulf arises as Beowulf, who embodies the ancient Northern European

warrior code, comes up against the limitations of that code. He encounters these limitations
during a series of combats. The first is with Grendel, a creature who “nurse[s] a hard grievance”
(l.87) against the successful warrior-king Hrothgar and his men. The nature of Grendel’s
grievance is never fully explained, but because Grendel is first encountered “haunting the
marches” (l.103—a “march” is a border), many readers have seen Grendel as the embodiment of
the people exiled and displaced by Hrothgar’s military conquests, conquests which are celebrated
under the warrior code. Grendel is not killed outright, but forced to flee to his “desolate lair”
(l.820). Although Beowulf defeats Grendel, the poem switches to the defeated monster’s point of
view to show us that Beowulf’s heroism has only caused further pain and suffering.
Beowulf’s second combat is with Grendel’s mother. The story of Hildeburh (ll.1070-1158)
shows us how Grendel’s mother embodies a limitation of the warrior code. Hildeburh is a
princess who loses all her male relatives because her husband’s family is feuding with her
brother’s family. However, as a woman, she cannot participate in the feud herself. All she can do
is grieve. Grendel’s mother is a female “avenger” (l.1258), and many readers have seen her as
the embodiment of all the women left powerless and grieving by the blood-vengeance required
under the warrior code. After Grendel’s mother attacks, Beowulf forcefully restates this aspect of
the code: “It is always better / to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (ll.1384-5).
Beowulf’s thirst for vengeance against Grendel’s mother, who is herself avenging a killing
perpetrated by Beowulf, underlines that the heroic code entails an unending cycle of bloodshed.