If we look at the text very carefully, we can see that the
answer relates to the way in which Grendel is presented as being a demonic force opposed
to the goodness of Christianity. Consider how this characteristic of Grendel is
presented:
They could hack at
Grendel
From every side, trying to
open
A path for his evil soul, but their
points
Could not hurt him, the sharpest and hardest
iron
Could not scratch at his skin, for that sin-stained
demon
Had bewitched all men's weapons, laid
spells
That blunted every mortal man's
blade.
Grendel's ability to
cast spells and "bewitch" the blades of his opponents, combined with his description of
being "sin-stained" clearly indicates that he is a force of evil and highlights his
status as a villain and a chaotic enemy, which of course helps to present Beowulf as an
agent of good as he battles against the might of evil, in the form of Grendel. Let us
remember that this epic was originally written in a time when Christianity held sway,
and thus the conflict between the pagan witchcraft represented in Grendel and the
Christianity of the writer is presented partly through Grendel's ability to cast spells,
which places him in the leage of the devil and evil.
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