Grendel by John Gardner Chapter 12 What evidence is there in the way Gardner describes the battle between Grendel and the stranger that the stranger may be empowered by God?

The stranger is, of course, Beowulf. His presence excites Grendel: for the first time in his life, the monster may find himself challenged by an enemy. Beowulf also frightens Grendel. He is no mere hanger-on to the heroic ideal. He is incredibly strong, built in a way Grendel struggles to comprehend, but he is also clever in his response to Unferth’s challenge. Grendel thinks Beowulf is something more than man, empowered by God.