The Similarities Between 'Beowulf': Comparing The Book And Movie

The book Beowulf and its film adaptation were very similar. There were, however, several key differences that set them apart from each other. Overall, the book did a better job at portraying the tale of Beowulf because it includes more details and better emphasizes the struggles of Beowulf’s battles. For the most part, all the characters were the same, as well as their personalities. The film did include two characters the book did not mention, and these characters were quite important to the story. Another conflict between the two is that the argument between Unferth and Beowulf in Harot was not as intense in the movie as it was in the book. In the book, Unferth challenges Beowulf's reputation and inflicts a sense of distrust in Beowulf

In both stories, Beowulf’s men took an oath to aid him when he needed assistance. When the time finally came that Beowulf was in danger, only one man had enough courage to actually help Beowulf defeat the dragon. All the other men were cowards and would not fulfill their oath. Wiglaf says, “Our glorious king! By almighty God, I’d rather burn myself than see flames swirling around my lord. And who are we to carry home our shields before we’ve slain his enemy, and ours, to run back to our homes with Beowulf so hard-pressed here?” (Beowulf, 36). The way Wiglaf is willing to stand by his king and risk dying with him in battle, rather than flee with the others, is a display of true

The biggest difference is that the film included two characters who were not mentioned in the book, and both characters played important roles. The first was the fisherman who discovered Grendel and warned the village, and the second was the man who stole the dragon’s treasure and made it attack the village. Another key difference is that the movie did not include a heated argument between Unferth and Beowulf. In the book, Unferth accuses Beowulf of being unworthy to challenge Grendel and claims that he will die if he tries. He says this out of spite because he wants the fame and glory for himself. In the movie, Unferth does not make as big of a scene. In the book he makes such a big scene that he causes some villagers to question the abilities of Beowulf and wonder if he can actually protect them and not make Grendel even more blood-thirsty. Despite these differences, the endings to both stories were virtually identical. This was important because it helped keep the stories closer to each other. Both accounts of the tale followed the same basic story, but the novel did a better job because it had more details and better portrayed the life of Beowulf. It is clear in the book that Beowulf’s people thought very highly of him and were grateful for his protection and leadership. In the closing paragraph, the novel shows how