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Differences And Similarities Between 'Grendel And Beowulf'

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Stories and life lessons have been passed on from generation to generation for years on end and. Beowulf is one story that originated in Anglo-Saxon times and was passed on through scopes to show how a thane should act and to share the traditions of their culture. Over time the story changed to fit the society it was being told to. The poem is about a valiant hero who fights with honor and dignity where the movie shows a drunken king and a lustful hero. While Beowulf, the movie, and Beowulf, the poem, share some similarities, the differences in Grendel, Beowulf, and the role of women demonstrate the values and beliefs of Anglo Saxon society and today’s society. The first example of the similarities and differences in the poem and the movie …show more content…

One major similarity between the movie and poem is the fact that Grendel’s mother isn’t given a name. She had a bigger role in the movie and was seen as more powerful and hard to defeat. In the poem she was seen as weak and uncomparable to man, "No female, no matter/ How fierce, could have come with a man's strength,/ Fought with the power and courage men fight with..." (400-403). The movie showed her as a strong women that was hard to beat. For example in the scene where Beowulf goes to Grendel’s mother’s home, she is portrayed as a strong beautiful women that is feared by man. She was unable to be beaten because of her powers. Beowulf falls for her beauty and makes a deal of peace and wealth in exchange for the highly sought after drinking glass. This shows how Grendel’s mother is viewed completely different in the movie over how she was viewed in the poem. Through examining both Beowulf, the movie, and Beowulf, the poem,the similarities and differences reveal what was important to the societies that created them.We are shown how Beowulf is changed from an honorable hero to a man distracted by women, how Grendel is given a backstory to make the viewers have empathy towards him, and how the roles of women have changed over time from being weak to now unbeatable. Societies are ever changing and we need to learn that even though things may change it is important to hold strong to our traditions

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