No. Compared to humans, Grendel is also an intelligent being, capable of thinking, speaking and rationalizing. An animal is therefore not what it is. He constantly mutters things to himself and even when he talks to humans they are able to somehow understand what he is talking about and what he is saying. “'Come, come,' I said. 'Let me tell them I was sent by Sideways-Walker'” (Gardner 83). Grendel is also capable of thinking; “Strange thoughts come to mind. I think about the past of the past” (Gardner 146). When Grendel's leg became trapped between two trees and he suffered constant attacks from a bull, which was charging him, he was able to think and rationalize that the bull would always hit low. “He hit too low, and even in my terror I knew he would always hit too low…” (Gardner 21). Control over one's actions is one of the few advantages that intelligent beings have in their nature. As we understood in the previous paragraphs, Grendel is considered an intelligent being, but he still chooses to harm others of his own free will. As mentioned above, animals do not have the ability to rationalize or even think, so they kill because they need to. But Grendel on the other hand is intelligent, so he killed with a purpose, be they evil or honest. “I decided that my soul was to destroy him, slowly and cruelly” (Gardner 30). This is also demonstrated by the presence of free