In Beowulf, it is obvious what characteristics make Grendel monstrous. He is an evil creature. He never felt that what he was doing was wrong. He is portrayed as a monster from hell. Grendel had been isolated from society, and he was considered monstrous because of his appearance and his actions. He scares the men with his grotesque looks, his speech that they cannot understand, and his brutality. He murdered so many men without remorse.
Grendel, being as evil as he was, is also portrayed as sympathetic. The reader sympathizes with Grendel because despite his mothers efforts, the humans were the ones that pushed him away and feared him. His actions were all driven by his envy and his isolation. These feelings of sadness are what drove Grendel to be the monster he became.
Grendel is a popular monster in the modern audience. Characters like him because he relates to any human. He has human emotions, he is sad and angry, and these emotions are the only reason Grendel became the evil monster he is. An audience is attracted to the human characteristics that this particular monster has in common with them.
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