Read the excerpt from Grendel.It wasn’t because he threw that battle-ax that I turned on Hrothgar. That was mere midnight foolishness. I dismissed it, thought of it afterward only as you remember a tree that fell on you or an adder you stepped on by accident, except of course that Hrothgar was more to be feared than a tree or snake. It wasn’t until later, when I was full-grown and Hrothgar was an old, old man, that I settled my soul on destroying him—slowly and cruelly.
The excerpt is narrated in first person, and Grendel describes his own memories, judgments, and decision to destroy Hrothgar. Because it reveals what Grendel is thinking rather than spoken dialogue, it is Grendel’s thoughts.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.