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Atonement And Beowulf Comparison

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The epic, Beowulf, sings the song of a hero who rescues a besieged land and the society he comes from, told by the Anglo-Saxons. Anglo-Saxons are Germanic people who ruled over Denmark and Great Britain from the 5th century to the 11th century. Hailing from a patriarchal society that places great importance in loyalty and a warrior’s way with a sword, and even more, their way with words. Around Beowulf’s origins, Christian beliefs were being introduced, intermingling with their pagan religion. Told orally until circa 1000 AD. Finally, in 2007, the American movie and animation industry adapted it into their own tale. The age-old poem and the modern-day movie tell a story of similar origins, they take different paths. Outside of the plot difference, …show more content…

It holds true that we should remain intimate and true to the people we hold dear. All the while, revenge and atonement are still a strong emotion humans feel when they or someone they care about has been wronged, which ties back into loyalty when acting on another’s part. Bestowed in the movie is this message: “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” The Seven Deadly Sins are also tied deeply into the actions of the characters, primarily pride, lust, and greed. Grendel’s mother’s curse haunts the message they you should learn from your predecessors, which shines through when it comes to Wiglaf’s ignorance and how it’s implied that he’ll fall victim to the curse, as well. Pride, greed, and lust motivate all of Beowulf’s action, where he his lust lured him into Grendel’s mother’s grasps, his greed pushed him to fall for the curse, and his pride swallows him whole when he refuses to speak the truth about his actions. Between the two societies, the needed message to portray was different. In a war-stricken society, the Anglo-Saxons would need to display the importance of loyalty and being morally good. However, in the present, we need to emphasize different messages, such as learning from the past and to not fall victim to

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