Beowulf Compare And Contrast Essay

The legend of Beowulf is one that has been told for centuries. Among the traits that make this story stand apart from others that have been passed down in a similar style through generations is the remarkable way the actual storyline remains the same. This is easily visible when comparing Beowulf, the new verse translation by Seamus Heaney, and Beowulf, the graphic novel written and illustrated by Gareth Hinds. There are many similarities between the two versions, as both begin with the Beowulf/ Grendel fight, then continue with the fight between Beowulf and Grendel's mother, and ending with the death of Beowulf against the dragon. However, there are several important changes made by Hinds that can be observed. One of the first alterations made by Hinds is in his depiction of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel. In Heaney’s rendition, as in most versions, Beowulf’s epic battle is just that; it is the battle that essentially defines his character in the world. This monster and the ensuing battle is the one that people to this day first think of when they hear the name Beowulf. Heaney’s translation portrays Grendel as a human-like monster who is somewhat larger than our hero vs. the idea of a bigger deadlier monster. During their battle, Grendel tand Beowulf struggle for control with Grendel seeming to get the upper hand at least a couple

To begin once again with Heaney’s book, Beowulf’s fight with Grendel’s mother gives the reader an impression of her as older, smaller, and weaker than her cursed offspring. She and our hero struggle in her underwater lair for some time, neither of them acquiring much in the way of physical harm. Then after finding that his own weapon is not capable of damaging this foe, Beowulf miraculously grabs the only sword within reach inside the den and easily slays Grendel’s