Beowulf: A Comparison Of Book And Movie

Most often when a book or a poem gets made into a movie, there are many similarities and differences amongst the two. This was no exception for the epic poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, and the 2007 animated motion picture “Beowulf.” It became evident rather early on in the film that the directors had interpreted the poem far differently than what it was made out to be when it was originally written. In the opening scene, King Hrothgar is illustrated as fat and slobbishly; almost like a pig. He sits in his royal chair shirtless, drunk and asking for girls to kiss him. “I want a kiss, give me a kiss,” he even exclaimed, all the while with his wife Welthow sitting idly by. Although appearance is one interpretation that stands out as
On the contrary, in the film neither of these characteristics are maintained all the way through till the end of his life. In the poem, Beowulf kills Grendel’s mother and is once again deemed a hero. He receives a fast amount of riches and promises to protect the Danish land if ever attacked by another monster. However this is not what the film presents. Instead, Beowulf sleeps with Grendel’s mother and lies to the Danish people, a cover up that lends its hands to the death of Hrothgar and Beowulf’s rise to becoming the king. During the era in which the author of Beowulf lived, nobility and prestigiousness were two of the biggest accolades that one could possess. Living in a society without electricity, word of mouth was the main way in which people communicated. That is why being claimed a noble warrior and a loyal king were such important lasting impressions to leave behind. For generations to follow Beowulf’s legacy was that he lived a life being fearless and being a leader, all of which rang true in the poem. However, in film this is far from the truth. I believe the screenwriters and director decided to go this route with the plot of the movie for entertainment purposes. Honesty and pride are two fundamental traits for Beowulf’s era. However, in today’s society it is clear that these may not be necessarily so important. Beowulf was illustrated as a liar and ignoble human being because
The author of the epic poem lived in a much different time period than both the director and the screenwriters of the film. I believe that both sets of people had to thus account for their intended audiences, which is why they chose to highlight certain characteristics more than other characteristics. In the poem, Beowulf is portrayed as heroic and loyal to his people. He sacrifices his life by fighting the dragon in order to ensure that his society would remain safe. However, in the film, Beowulf is seen as a liar and unfaithful. Not only does he lie in order to become crowned the king, but he also cheats on his wife. Stringing together the morals of two very differing societies is something that is extremely difficult to do. By having a intended audiences from roughly the 6th century and trying to compliment that with the works of the 21st century, and for a movie. Well that’s a daunting task. It is no wonder that Beowulf is portrayed so differently in the film compared to the poem, differing societies have different values, this work of literature certainly demonstrated