Final answer:
The quotation from Beowulf suggests the warriors were attempting to kill Grendel, despite their weapons being ineffective against him.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best paraphrase for the underlined part of the quotation "Their courage / Was great but all wasted: they could hack at Grendel / From every side, trying to open / A path for his evil soul, but their points / Could not hurt him...." from Beowulf is D. attempting to kill him. The warriors demonstrated great bravery and attempted to defeat Grendel by hacking at him from every side. Despite their efforts, their weapons were ineffective and could not harm Grendel, as they were trying to ensure his soul would leave his body, a euphemism for causing death.