Timeline and Summary

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• The Stranger doesn't enter the story until almost the end. The dragon prophesizes about him when he says that a random man will kill Grendel in a stupid way.
• We also get a preview of the Stranger when Grendel overhears an old woman telling children about a giant with the strength of 30 thanes. Grendel assumes she's making stuff up, but he's got another thing coming.
• Grendel senses the coming of the Stranger and his men and goes down to the seashore to catch a glimpse.
• The Stranger and his thanes are described as "mechanical, terrible," like one big killing machine. He identifies himself to the old coast guard and tells him about their mission.
• Hrothgar's coast guard brings the Stranger and his men to the meadhall.
• The Danes, with the exception of Hrothgar, are not too stoked to see the Stranger: he makes them look bad because he's planning to achieve what they could never do.
• The Stranger sits down to dinner in the meadhall only to be verbally attacked by Unferth.
• Unferth teases the Stranger about an old swimming contest he had with his friend Breca.
• The Stranger uses the episode to show just how awesome he really is (he totally battled water monsters for five days on his own)—and to embarrass the heck out of Unferth by telling him he's going to hell for killing his brothers. Ouch.
• Grendel confirms that there's something weird about the Stranger's mouth. The movement of his lips doesn't seem to match his words.
• Wealtheow makes an appearance and thanks the gods for sending the Stranger.
• A drunken Hrothgar goes one better: he declares that the Stranger is like a son to him. Wealtheow isn't pleased.
• That night, the Stranger waits for Grendel in the meadhall. The monster soon learns that it's all a trap.
• The Stranger is not, in fact, napping, as supposed. He's watching.
• The Stranger grasps Grendel's arm in a grip from hell, but he's not content with causing pain. He's in it to psych Grendel out and bring him to despair.
• Grendel concludes that the Stranger is one sick dude (and not in any good sense). The Stranger enjoys killing way too much.
• The Stranger whispers to Grendel and forces him to sing a song about walls... because why not? He's in control now.
• Beowulf finally rips Grendel's arm off. Grendel sees Beowulf as a man with white wings before stumbling out the door on his death-journey.