It has long been a method in epic poems and stories to feature a hero who must overcome several monsters in order to reach an esteemed goal. The title character in Beowulf embodies the traits of the quintessential Anglo-Saxon hero, for in order to reach his goal, Beowulf must face three monsters: Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a dragon. The monsters featured in Beowulf represent the outcasts of society, the followers of those outcasts, and the people who live beyond civilization and possess no values.

The epic battles between Beowulf and his various adversaries always consist of a fight to the death. All three monsters that Beowulf must face live in darkness; the author describes Grendel as being "a prowler through the dark" (86). The darkness symbolizes evil, an evil that Beowulf must defeat. The monsters embody evil since they are all ones "whom the Creator [has] outlawed/ and condemned...