Grendel Vs Beowulf

Within the original writing, King Hrothgar is portrayed as a wise and old ruler of the Danes, He stands to no mercy and enjoys a bloodbath if deemed necessary. In the epic Beowulf (Heaney) King Hrothgar is a man who categorizes into two, the good and the evil. The evil should be shown no mercy and the good is to be protected by the strongest. However, this characteristic and complexity continues only to be shown through the Beowulf epic and none of the modern day movie, Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson). Why that being? Today’s mindset of logic and values has changed greatly than years before these changes occur due to our mindset in culture differences throughout time. The movie throws in what is needed to give the character what today as seen

Beowulf gives him uttermost respect, greeting him properly and advancing in affection. The man finds the king of Danes to be such an influence that even one day when he comes to rule, Beowulf’s ways of leadership are similar to those of Hrothgar. Even with this in mind, the modern day film belittles this with the added in drama in order to create friction between characters. Within the film we watch as Beowulf questions Hrothgar's reason for killing Grendel's father. We see a side of Beowulf that begins to lose his respect for the king. Instead of accepting the king’s wishes and accomplishing the task at hand, Beowulf continues to take notice of the witch and her views on the situation. Beowulf chooses to ignore Hrothgar's poor words about her, instead take into consideration that Grendel may have had reason for killing. Beowulf expects an answer to Hrothgar's action while demands for a reason to why he and his men should have Grendel killed. Unlike the epic, where the character Grendel is an evil being that should be eliminated, the movie gives Grendel a reason for being how he is. The change in the story and addition of characters takes away the fatherly figure that Beowulf should see in Hrothgar and replaces it with feelings of pity for Grendel. The film alternated the respect given to the king of Dane’s merely to add “more plot” for today's viewers. The

Being seen as the wise king who sought to keep his people safe with power and knowledge for years, was turned into a soft, easily defeated, push around character in the modern day film. Years ago people were less complex; quick to do as they please while keeping their dignity strong. The differences between the two versions of the classic story of the hero Beowulf and the villain Grendel both have reason for their setup. The cultural values of today differ than from how they were years before. People today value pathos in characters, request heros who relate to pressure similar to themselves, and seek reasons for mistakes. The small adjustments to a character creates a large impact on the whole story helping viewers comprehend along with relating to what they view no matter the time