Grendel natured vs Grendel nutured?

            In John Gardner’s Grendel, readers receive a perspective on a monster that was a notorious destroyer in the epic poem Beowulf. Throughout the novel, Grendel is driven by hate and loneliness and ultimately makes his purpose in life hell-bent on hurting the Danes. One reading Grendel or even in Beowulf could see the ugly hate thriving from Grendel and how he contemplates what has a purpose in his life and was doesn’t; overall what is considered good and what is considered bad. Some of the recurring themes throughout Grendel are theory, isolation, heroism, and even at times the essence of nature. An overarching question on Grendel being a monster, was he born evil or was he made evil, or did nature versus nurture take control.
            With the idea of nature, Grendel’s environment and the people surrounding him affect Grendel’s behavior. When the bull tries to attack Grendel he see’s this initial act of violence in the world making him angry. Then when Hrothgar and his warriors act violent on Grendel, he now has motivation to hurt the Danes. Since, Grendel’s first encounter outside his cave was violent, through nature, he is considered violent because of personal experiences or trauma.
            Now you look at Grendel through a nurturing aspect. Grendel did not grow up loved and surrounded by the beautiful things in life. Grendel’s mother was neglectful and unable to communicate with her son, which led to his own isolation, suffering, and unable to comprehend the physical world around him. Through nurture, Grendel is violent because his mother did not give him enough love or teach him about the goodness in the world.
           What really makes Grendel a monster? In Beowulf Grendel is born of Cain, making him naturally evil. In Grendel, Grendel is neglected and left alone, which he in turn eventually becomes evil. On one hand Grendel is evil because the outside world treated him wrong so he wants to bring havoc on the world or specifically the Danes, but in another light, Grendel did not understand the world around him and his mother did not help him discover what was right or wrong. Grendel is a book about perspective.
           In Beowulf, we read about a malicious creature that is evil by every human standard and inherently is evil in a biblical sense. When you read Grendel, we read a story about a creature being misunderstood and guided to be evil and wreak havoc on the Danes. So, is Grendel a monster by the means of his upbringing or the events of his past? Grendel is able to make his own choices, but he is easily influenced by his surroundings, so in way Grendel’s nurture is what makes him evil. If Grendel had learned the morals and more about others, he would then know how to handle attacks or being misunderstood, but inherently if he is able to make his own choices, then he is able to make his own opinions on aspects in the world.