- Grendel's getting more and more manic: he starts having conversations with himself (you'll see these in parentheses).
- Grendel goes hardcore philosopher in this chapter (not for the last time). He's got a couple of big questions: What would he be without Hrothgar to destroy? How would he identify himself?
- Space-Time Continuum Note: By the way, we've jumped ahead for a moment to Grendel's 12th year of raiding. He's almost at the end of his "war" here.
- Grendel speaks of the need for balance. We're sort of curious what "balance" means for a monster.
- Grendel must be a conservationist: he could kill more people, he says, but he'd go over his quota for the season, and then what would he do with himself?
- In his boredom (or is it his insanity?), he formulates philosophies and makes lists (for example: "blessings: My teeth are sound"). He counts his highest blessing as not having killed the queen. But for how long?
- We get a super long flashback about Queen Wealtheow. This goes way back to Grendel's second year of raiding (so about ten years ago).
- A new young king has moved into Hrothgar's neighborhood and is acting just like Hrothgar: he's slashing and burning everything in sight, consolidating his power.
- Hrothgar's allies are affected by this, so Hrothgar begins to gather a massive army to strong-arm the new guy.
- Grendel watches all of this and feels like a kid in a candy store. So many men and animals to eat, are we right?
- Finally, the new kid—Hygmod, Lord of the Helmings—shows up. He brings some men and a bear. Yeah, you read that right.
- Hygmod realizes that he can't yet overpower Hrothgar and knows he has to pony up some tribute money.
- Grendel is mighty happy as he watches all of this. He knows that blood will be spilled.
- Hygmod has agreed to surrender and to offer the best of gifts.
- When he realizes that Hrothgar won't be appeased by the usual gold (gold doesn't guarantee that Hygmod won't go off and raise an army), Hygmod offers his beautiful sister, who is renamed on the spot: Wealtheow, "servant of the common good." That's a nice way of saying, "What you want doesn't matter, girl, because you are a pawn."
- Grendel can't take it. Wealtheow is beautiful and innocent. Hrothgar is bony and old. Grendel's disgusted.
- Wealtheow becomes like the Shaper for Grendel: she brings him doubt and misery. He thinks he knows how horrible mankind is, and then there's a Wealtheow to change his mind.
- The exchange of Wealtheow is heart wrenching, complete with weeping children and noble behavior on the part of the lady.
- Grendel feels the urge to throw himself at Wealtheow's feet like a miserable dog and whimper for her acceptance.
- Hrothgar accepts the gift (who wouldn't?).
- Grendel can't touch the humans all winter. He's under Wealtheow's charm.
- Now Grendel contemplates the women in his life. Both Mama and Wealtheow would give—and have given—up their lives for their loved ones. (He still can't stand Mama, though.) He realizes that women are like this—and this realization makes him more bitter. At times like these, he senses the dragon all around him.
- Wealtheow's power is felt all around. Grendel watches her. Hrothgar watches her. And even the blind Shaper is changed: his poetry is softer, more comforting. Even Unferth seems nobler.
- Wealtheow brings Unferth the mead bowl one night, and he refuses. Men at the table mock him and reveal his "secret": Unferth is a brother-killer. A drunk brother-killer, to be exact.
- Wealtheow smooths it over simply by speaking. She declares his evil deed past, nothing to talk about. Everyone believes her. Grendel can't believe it.
- Grendel confesses that he follows the queen at all times. He sees her suffering. She is alone, a slave to an unknown people.
- Grendel watches when Wealtheow's brother, Hygmod, comes for a visit. He sees her come back to life around her kin.
- Hygmod even takes the Shaper's harp and sings (not very well).
- Grendel is more tormented than ever. He is seeing the best of humanity again, and it confuses him. How can he hate and kill them if they are noble?
- Grendel always has these doubts at three particular moments: when the Shaper sings, when he thinks about heroism, and when he sees Wealtheow.
- Grendel decides that's it: the end of the truce. He attacks. Sure, he kills some men, but he's really after the queen. He kicks stupid Unferth out of the way and enters her chamber.
- Two things happen to disillusion Grendel: Wealtheow squeals like a pig when she sees him, and then... well, he pulls her legs open and gets quite a shock. Grendel has never seen a woman's private bits.
- Grendel wants to kill Wealtheow. And he wants it to be horrible.
- But then Grendel changes his mind. He leaves and makes his way back to the cave.
- Grendel is cured of his puppy love by the "ugliness" between Wealtheow's legs. He's seen more than he'd bargained for (apparently, Wealtheow had her period): beautiful Queen Wealtheow is disgustingly human, after all.
- Still, Grendel can't help idolizing Wealtheow sometimes.
- Grendel starts talking about balance again. This time, he lets himself be of two minds—about pretty much everything.
- Appropriately, Grendel decides to kill himself. And then he changes his mind.