Beowulf: Differences From The Epic

In the movie Beowulf, we see a lot of differences from the epic. In the film, there is sense of remorse from Beowulf that you don 't see in the book. In the movie we also see many characters added to represent different obstacles in Beowulf 's life. A few of the characters added were some such as the witch called Selma, the Irish monk, and Grendel 's son. Each character gave Beowulf some sort of conflict in the movie. We also see how Beowulf was more human like like in the movie than in the book. In the book they portray Beowulf as some sort of God while in the movie is learns and grows like any other normal humans. Grendel, as well, grows and learns in the movie, more than in the book. This could possibly mean that as time has changed we

Aside from all of the added characters in the movie, we also see a different Beowulf. In the book it is said that Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm with his bare hands, while in the movie we see that Grendel cut off his own arm, eventually dying. We as well see Beowulf grow throughout the movie. In the book Beowulf is portrayed more as a God than a human being, while in the movie we see him as a human being than a God. In the book Beowulf is boastful, proud, and basically full of himself while in the movie we see him as more humbled and remorseful. This could be because in our culture today, the boastful and proud characters are usually the antagonist in the story. Giving Beowulf more human like qualities appeals more to the audience. We see his remorse when Grendel’s son come at him with a sword, protecting his father. In the beginning of the movie we see Beowulf as he is in the book, but as he learns and goes through the journey he begins to grow and see things from a different perspective than when the movie first started. In the epic, Beowulf has no concern for anyone but himself. The only reason he is there, is to kill Grendel is for money and honor. We see absolutely no change in Beowulf in Beowulf in the book. He is the same person he started as, there is no

In conclusion we see many contrasting ideas in the epic and the movie. We see characters that were added solely for more entertainment purposes and drama. Beowulf is portrayed to have more human qualities rather than being boastful and proud like in the epic. The culture and society we live in now so much more different than it was at the time of the story. We are so used to the drama and tragedy of today’s culture, that we have to adjust already amazing stories to fit the our need. We see a contrast in religion and how Christianity is introduced to an uncivilized group of people and how quickly people are willing to turn against something they have believed their entire lives in order to feel safe. We end up seeing the height of Beowulf’s growth at the end when he builds a memorial for Grendel, in order to end the cycle that began when Grendel’s father was murdered. In all we see a lot of contrasting ideas of culture from then to now and we see how much our society has changed over