A monstrous descendant of the biblical Cain, the world's first murderer, Grendel bears his ancestor's curse; he is condemned to walk the Earth alone. Bothered by the merriment and light coming from Hrothgar's kingdom, Grendel regularly lays waste to the celebratory warriors until he is stopped by a force more powerful than himself. Be sure you understand one of literature's earliest villains by taking the quiz over the character of Grendel in Beowulf from eNotes.