Final answer:
The underlined words in the quotation describe the unsuccessful attempts to harm Grendel's evil soul.
Step-by-step explanation:
The underlined words in the quotation from Beowulf, 'they could hack at Grendel/ From every side, trying to open/ A path for his evil soul, but then points/ Could not hurt him', can be best paraphrased as: they attempted to attack Grendel from all directions in an effort to create a way for his evil spirit to escape, but their attacks were ineffective in causing him harm.