They all fled except one, Wiglaf... He stayed and helped slay the dragon with Beowulf
He is only after glory and will do anything to get it. That is a way to look at it. Or ,Maybe, before answering, you should just notice that this guy switched Beowulf and Grendel and I'm pretty sure it was meant as a joke ;) ...But in the movie Grendel is portrayed as more human which provides some sympathy from the audience for the character and makes Beowolf look brutal. In certain passages in the book, in my opinion, this can also be seen.
In "Grendel" by John Gardner, Grendel believes that the worst pain is nihilism, the feeling that life is devoid of meaning or value. He grapples with the existential dread of a world without inherent purpose, which ultimately fuels his destructive behavior.
Beowulf attributes his victory to God's grace. This was after his battle with Grendel's mother and he claims God's grace made him victorious in his audience with Hrothgar.
Beowulf allows Grendel to slaughter one of the Geats as a strategic move to lure Grendel into overconfidence. Beowulf wanted to ensure that he would face Grendel in a fair one-on-one battle at his strongest and show his prowess in defeating the monster.
Naegling is a type of Old English sword, often associated with the legend of Beowulf. It is described in the epic poem as a powerful and grand weapon used by the hero in battle against the monster Grendel's mother.
Grendel's mother takes his claw as a form of revenge against Beowulf for killing her son. It serves as a symbolic gesture to challenge Beowulf and his companions and to further escalate the conflict between them.
In most versions of Beowulf, she has no name that is given; she is just called "Grendel's Mother".Some variations give her the name "Enchidna"
Before swimming back to land, Beowulf kills Grendel's mother and decapitates Grendel's corpse. Hrothgar and the other warriors believe that Beowulf has been defeated by Grendel's mother and mourn his apparent death.
Grendel hates Herot because he feels rejected and isolated from the celebrations and joy happening there. The noise and revelry of the mead hall remind Grendel of his own loneliness and he sees the people in Herot as a threat to his existence. Grendel's violent and chaotic nature also fuels his hatred towards the hall and its inhabitants.
Grendel learns that everything that he observes outside of himself, and finds can cause him pain, is false and does not exist. He believes only he exists, and all he encounters is just there for him to pull away from, or push against. He feels that humans are different from the other animals he encounters.
I dont think there are any rules against it but chances are in todays society your going to get teased, made fun of, and at the worst tazered
Beowulf's men deserted him when he faced the dragon because they were overcome by fear. The dragon was a formidable opponent and they likely felt powerless against it. Additionally, they may have believed that Beowulf was doomed in the fight and chose to save their own lives instead.