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Beowulf Comparison Essay

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Beowulf is a heroic, Anglo-Saxon poem that takes place in the 6th century. It is believed that the poem was not manuscripted until 1000 AD. The poem originally had no title but was later named after a warrior from Scandinavia. A brave sailor who arrived to herot as the hero to all, and fought for nothing but glory, even though he seeks fame as well. By fighting the monsters that are frightening Hrothgar, the king, and his thanes, Beowulf's reputation grows. In the Beowulf movie and poem there are similarities and differences in the role of women, behavior of a hero, and the setting/tone, which reveal themes that reflect both Anglo-Saxon and modern society.

The first example of the similarities and differences in the poem and the movie is the role that women were given. To begin with, men dominated, but in the …show more content…

Likewise he is a fair fighter, as he claims being able to fight Grendel with nothing but his strength, “my hands/ Alone shall fight for me”(172-173) and so he did getting rid of Hrothgar's nightmare, Grendel. Consequently Grendel's mother came in search of revenge for her only son. In the Poem, Beowulf is seen as a great warrior that fears none. However, in the movie he has a strong weakness, and that is women. Namely, Grendel's mother was one of the many women in Beowulf’s life. As a result, came the dragon who in the movie was Beowulf’s heir. He had been with the witch, Grendel's mother, she had trapped him in her plan. Eventually the treasure that Beowulf had promised to stay in the lake had been found. It follows that the peace in Herot and Scandinavia was now disrupted by Beowulf's nightmare. Despite the fact that the fire spitting beast was Beowulf's son, still, he confronted what he had created even though he was aging, “I am now old,/ But I will fight again, seek fame still,/ If the dragon hiding in his tower dares/ To face me”

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Grendel had being killing and terrorizing Hrothgar’s people. The news of Grendel had travel to the land of the Geats and Beowulf had come to provide assistance to Hrothgar. One day after Beowulf and Grendel’s fight, where Beowulf tears off the demons’ arm, the monster’s mother came to vengeance her son’s death. She was also defeated and killed by Beowulf, for which he received many gifts and praise by Hrothgar and his wife Wealhtheow.

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While other female characters are constantly desired for their qualities of beauty, Grendel’s mother is the symbolic representation of women in society that demonstrated unflinching resolve for their children even against what men said. The other women succumb to women, so therefore they are portrayed as monsters, but the only female character that is powerful is cast aside as a monster, indicating that men despise strong women. Her murder by Beowulf is the conquest of men over women that are challenging the dominant system of patriarchy. That is why she is a “miserable life’s curse” (Gardner 11). Grendel’s mother who is powerful and caring is constructed to demonstrate to women that oppose men that they are worthless and destined to

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833 Words | 4 Pages

Beowulf, despite his old age, takes it upon his mission to fight the monster. He gathers eleven warriors and together they set out to find the dragon’s lair; however, upon their arrival, Beowulf insists

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Did you know it has a similarities and differences between Beowulf poem and the movie? Beowulf story is the story about man called Beowulf fight with monsters. In the Beowulf poem and movie, there are similarities and differences in Gender role, The behavior of the hero, and themes which reflect the values of both Anglo saxon and modern society. The first example of the similarity and difference in the poem and the movie is regarding gender role.

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1245 Words | 5 Pages

As Robert Harris writes, “Grendel’s mother becomes most terrifying when seeking vengeance; she is the horrible but inevitable pinnacle of a society built of feuding tribes and uneasy peace…” (Harris). While Grendel’s mother serves the primary purpose of avenging her son’s death, her character serves the purpose of demonstrating the capability of female villains. Due to the stereotype of men dominating women in regards to strength, readers find it laughable when a female character, such as Grendel’s mother, makes a male character question his competence. However, the role Grendel’s mother plays in Beowulf denotes that women have equal power to men in society.

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The lessening of Grendel’s Mother’s abilities because of her sex continues with Beowulf’s vow that “she’ll not protect herself by hiding” (1391b), she may have her own feminine space but he, as a man, will break in easily. Retelling the story of their fight when he returns home, Beowulf dismisses it in a couple of lines compared to the longer time he spent telling the story of the fight with Grendel. Beowulf describes her decapitation at his hands “with a sword of huge size” (2139), the sword a phallic symbol and the metaphorical rape her carries out on her is a warning that any woman who defies the homosocial order will be subjugated by the more powerful male

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849 Words | 4 Pages

After “Beowulf” slays her son, she houses his dead body, and Hrothgar challenges the hero to kill her as well. Even the mother who is a monster still has the qualities of a real mom. She loves her son, regardless; Grendel even lived in complete isolation. The monster would stop at nothing: “She drew / a dagger, brown with dried blood, and prepared / to avenge her only son” (ii. 1545-1547). This restless spirit would stop at nothing to defend her loved one, which is crucial within this epic.

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He took his sword out and yelled out battle cry to the dragon. (English book pg.63 lines 635-650) The beast was ready to fight Beowulf and then set him on fire. It’s like my mother she believes I can do anything when I set my heart to do. Not even a dragon can stop me, if you can believe it, then it can come true.

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854 Words | 4 Pages

Grendel’s mother reaffirms the motherly gender performance associated with women. She is a loving mother who will do anything for her child regardless of the consequences associated with the act. After the death of Grendel, she takes it upon herself to avenge the death of her child. In doing so, she manifests how much she loves she has as a mother. She is willing to go to the extent of killing the king and facing Beowulf, who was a fierce soldier to avenge Grendel’s death.

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987 Words | 4 Pages

This fueled her to go back to the hall, where she killed Beowulf’s best friend. When Beowulf learned of the death of his best friend he went on another quest to kill Grendel’s mother in her lair “As his words ended / He leaped into the lake, would not wait for anyone’s / Answer...” (Beowulf 467-468). Beowulf did not need anyone’s approval for going to fight Grendel’s mother he knew it was the suitable thing to do.

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1037 Words | 5 Pages

This also occurs when Grendel’s mother comes to attack as revenge for what he had done to her son. Beowulf was always ready for battle even when there was no danger in sight. Beowulf also shows his humble side as an ideal warrior, which is another element of heroism in which Anglo-Saxons believe in. After Beowulf had killed Grendel and his mother, he was given rewards and offered kingship by Hrothgar. He declined the kingship because he was going to return home to Hygelac.

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806 Words | 4 Pages

and we went under the crag. No coward path” (Beowulf 2539 - 2541). In this scene of Beowulf, Beowulf is going to kill the dragon in his lair and everyone but one person runs off once they see the dragon.

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957 Words | 4 Pages

The story of Beowulf is one of the oldest surviving long poems in Old English. It was recorded over a thousand years ago, and before that, it was passed down orally for generations. Consequently, the true author of this epic poem is unknown, but luckily that is only a but a wee piece of history lost about this piece. It still educates us about what the Anglo-Saxon valued by demonstrating those beliefs using Beowulf and other characters throughout the poem. Bravery, Christianity, and loyalty are all demonstrated strongly in the story of Beowulf, and furthermore educates us in the ways of the Anglo-Saxon people around the time frame of Beowulf.

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631 Words | 3 Pages

The poem and movie of “Beowulf” are very different and they are also sort of similar. There are a lot more differences between the two than you would expect and while some of them are minor differences others are drastically different. Most movies are very different from the book they are made from. The biggest differences between the movie and poem were the three battles. The three battles have drastic differences.

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899 Words | 4 Pages

Grendel’s mother arrived at the Mead hall attacking everyone and kidnaps one of Hrothgars very best friends; she takes him to her lair and kills him. Things were very different in the movie; instead of taking Hrothgars friend she killed everyone on the Mead Hall except for Beowulf. Beowulf then goes looking for Grendel’s mother; he enters her lair with a horn, hearing a voice talking to him and sees Grendel’s body on the table. Grendel’s mother appears looking beautiful to Beowulf. Out of anger she slices her sons head off and seduces Beowulf, she tells him to give her a son since he killed her only son.

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