Question

Which line numbers show Grendel's first recognition that he was facing an extraordinary opponent?

720 to 727
740 to 746
750 to 754
770 to 780

Answer 1

710.Then up from the marsh, under misty cliffs,
Grendel came walking; he bore God's wrath.
The evil thief planned to trap some human,
one of man's kind, in the towering hall.
Under dark skies he came till he saw
715.the shining wine-hall, house of gold-giving,
a joy to men, plated high with gold.
It was not the first time he had visited Hrothgar;
never in his life, before or after,
did he find harder luck or retainers in hall.
720.The evil warrior, deprived of joys,
came up to the building; the door burst open,
though bound with iron, as soon as he touched it,
huge in his blood-lust; enraged, he ripped open
the mouth of the hall; quickly rushed in-
725.the monster stepped on the bright-paved floor,
crazed with evil anger; from his strange eyes
an ugly light shone out like fire.
There in the hall he saw many men-
the band of kinsmen all sleeping together,
730.a troop of young warriors. Then his heart laughed;
evil monster, he thought he would take
the life from each body, eat them all
before day came; the gluttonous thought
of a full-bellied feast was hot upon him.
735.No longer his fate to feed on mankind,
after that night. The mighty man,
kinsman of Hygelac, watched how the killer
would want to move in sudden attack.
Nor did the monster think long to delay:
740.he lunged the next moment, seized a warrior,
gutted him sleeping -ripped him apart-
bit into muscles, swilled blood from veins,
tore off gobbets, in hardly a moment
had eaten him up, all of the dead man,
745.even hands and feet. He stepped further in,
and caught in his claws the strong-minded man
where he lay on his bed- the evil assailant
snatched at him, clutching; hand met claw,
he sat straight at once, thrust the arm back.
750.The shepherd of sins then instantly knew
he had never encountered, in any region
of this middle-earth, in any other man,
a stronger hand-grip; at heart he feared
for his wretched life, but he could not move.
755.He wanted escape, to flee to the fen,
join the devils' rout. Such greeting in hall
he had never met before in his life.
Then the brave man remembered, kinsman of Hygelac,
his speeches that evening, rose to his feet
760.and held him close; fingers snapped;
the giant pulled away, the noble moved with him.
The ill-famed creature thought to go elsewhere,
anywhere possible, away from the hall,
into deep marshes, felt his fingers
765.in a terrible grip. An unhappy journey
the evil harmer had made to Heorot.
The king's hall thundered: to all the Danes,
the city's inhabitants, to every brave listener
it was a wild mead-sharing. The grapplers were furious-
770.angry hall-guards. The building clattered;
it was a great wonder the mead-hall withstood
those two battle-ragers, did not crash to earth,
tall-standing house. But inside and out
good smiths had turned strong iron bands,
775.made the walls fast. Many mead-benches
inlaid with gold, came up from the floor,
so I have heard, where the fighters crashed.
Before this the wise men, Scylding counselors,
had not expected that any warrior
780.could ever destroy it, splendid, horn-bright,
by ordinary means, pull it down by craft,
unless licking fire should swallow it in flames.
A sound went out, loud and high,
raised horrible fear in Danish hearts,
785.in each of the men on the palisade wall
who heard the cry- God's enemys
creaming his hate-song, a victory-less tune,
the hellish captive moaning his pain.
He held him tight, the strongest man
790.who ever lived in the days of this life.
The protector of nobles had no desire
to let the killer-guest walk away free,
nor thought his life could do the least service
to any nation. Beowulf's warriors
795.all drew their swords, time-tested heirlooms,
wanted to defend the life of their comrade,
their famous chief, however they could.
But they did not know, as they entered the fight,
hard-minded men, battle-warriors,
800.meaning to swing from every side,
to cut out his soul, that keen battle-edges,
best iron in the world, sharpest blade,
could not harm him, the evil demon,
not touch him at all- he had bespelled
805.all weapons of battle. His leave-taking,
his life's parting from the days of this world
was to be painful; the alien spirit
was to journey far in the power of fiends.
Then he discovered, who earlier brought
810.trouble of heart to the race of men
by his many crimes -at feud with God-
that his body-casing would not keep life:
that Hygelac's kinsman, the bold-hearted man,
had him in hand. It was hateful to each
815.that the other lived. The terrible creature
took a body wound there; a gaping tear
opened in his shoulder; tendons popped,
muscle slipped the bone. Glory in battle
was given to Beowulf; Grendel fled,
820.wounded, death-sick, under marshy hills
to his joyless den; with that huge wound
he knew for certain his life had ended,
the sum of his days. The desire of all Danes .had come to pass in that deadly fight.

Answer 2

@SeanStewart16

Answer 3

I'm kinda confused...