ed by Grendels ancestry and lineage to Cain, and inthe contrast to Beowulf as a warrior of light and salvation. However varied, themajority of the translations studied for this one hundred and ten year periodexhibit a pattern in the representation of Grendel that presents him as a warrior,foil, and equal to the hero of the epic; a hero in the darkness.The representation of the translations for the selected passage fromBeowulf suggests a general pattern in translations over time, in the lack ofexpressing the recurring diction and narrative movement providing aring-composition, which is evident in the original Old English text. This is not tosay that there is no recognition in translation of the ring-composition, or envelopestructure, which is operating throughout the text of Beowulf, forever adding to thedepth of the epic verse. It appears that most of the earlier translations of theselected passage were unaware of the envelope structure operating within the text. In the original Old English, the passage of Grendels attack on the hall opens online 115 with neosian, and then closes on line 125, again with neosan. Thiswas not done by the poet because of a limited vocabulary or inability to find amore suitable word. This was done intentionally to provide recurring diction anda ring-composition in the text of the poem. Either the early translators wereunaware of this structures presence in the text, or they made a conscious effort intheir translations to remove the bad form of repetition. Whichever is the case,early translations of the neosian... neosan (115-125) recurring diction are asfollows: to explore... to go (A.115-125), to spy... sought (B.115-125), tofind... to seek (C.115-125), and to look... is away (D.115-125). It is not untilthe 1962 translation by Vincent F. Hopper, in those examined, that the presenceof the envelope structure is recognized in translation. He translates neosian...neosan (115-125) as to visit... to visi...
