Answer:
personification
Explanation:
Beowulf is seen as the perfect hero, as a man who is willing to risk his own life to save others. He is not afraid of anything and goes to great lengths to prove it. He is the embodiment of a hero whose only joy seems to be doing heroic acts and rescuing those who need saving. He brings hope and courage and teaches the value of everything. Gardner suggests that Grendel Beowulf sees it as his redemption, as his escape from all the sadness and loneliness he feels.
Grendel is seen as the perfect villain, as a monster who is willing to go to great lengths to make others suffer. He is scared to death of many things, including his own voice and shadow, but goes to great lengths to prove to himself that this is not true. He is the embodiment of the antihero whose only joy seems to be doing terrible deeds and killing those who seem innocent. He brings despair and teaches of cowardice and the nothingness of life. Beowulf symbolizes a second dragon in Grendel's life, as he teaches many similar lessons to him and both destroys (by killing him) and saves (granting him death) from his unfortunate existence.
