1. Words like terror, seized and gore are used to convey a scene of chaos a destruction which induces a scene of brutality during Grendel's mother's attack. She comes to avenge her son, and takes her son's severed arm back with her when she retreats. These actions foreshadow that Beowulf's battle is not yet complete.
2. "Waves.../Hot with blood," and "worm-like things,/sea-dragons strange that sounded the deep," are a few of the lines that create a horrible disgusting swamp image when describing Grendel's mother's home to death and darkness. The lake is symbolism to the evil Beowulf is combatting as it is red with blood and bodies of the fallen and slain victims of the ogres.
3. Grendel's mother inadvertently gave Beowulf an advantage because the sword that he used to kill her was lying in her lair scattered among her previous victim's weapons. His blade didn't work anyway, and the sword he used was made by and for giants.
4. This battle was more chaotic and messy with Grendel, as it took place in the hall back at Heorot. Grendel was also unable to be penetrated by a blade, but his mother was evidently not this way, so the intended method of chopping off her head worked with her. Coming to her home made the second battle more personal as well. The similarity of the two is that both ogres were caught off-guard and attacked when they didn't expect it, making them similar to the victims of a hunt instead of a fair fight.
5. Beowulf being able to not only use the sword of Eotens, but lift it at all signified his immense strength and god-like ability. This made him more of a hero.
6. Light flooded the lair as soon as Beowulf was victorious in defeating Grendel's mother, symbolizing victory and the ridding of evil, since light is the opposite of darkness. It also illuminated Grendel's body in the back of the cave, and the action of Beowulf retrieving Grendel's head marked his proven victory with his new trophy.
7. These lines reveal that heroics are attributed to strong, brave, and somewhat-brutal men. It also overshadows fairness, but keeps the concept of good vs. evil intact.
8. The lake lightened in color as the shadow of Grendel and his mother wore off the lake after Beowulf's victory. It cleared up and became the normal watery color that lakes generally possess, instead of dark and bloody like before. Beowulf has metaphorically restored light and the balance of good over evil to the land.
