Beowulf: Comparing The Epic Poem And The Movie

The original epic poem and the movie Beowulf have the same background and basis, but they are very different in many ways. Many critics argue that the screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery changed too many events, thus changing the entire meaning of the story (Rees). This is not true, because the character of Beowulf became more relatable in the movie. The viewer was able to see the truth behind his boasts instead of just what he claims. It offers a sense of docility instead of an over confident super-human (Wood). Although the epic poem had more emotion and character depth, the film had positive changes such as a more relatable Beowulf and a more interesting storyline. The character of Beowulf was portrayed in a much different way in the film. The viewer got to see what actually happened when he told of his stories. The main example of this is when Beowulf speaks about slaying sea monsters. “I swam / In the blackness of night, hunting monsters / Out in the ocean, and killing them one / By one” (155-158). In the poem, the reader thought of Beowulf as a superhuman. Although in the movie the viewer sees that he did kill some sea monsters, but in the end he

They did this in many ways. They made Beowulf a more relatable character and changed some plot lines to connect part of the story. Grendel’s mother is the key point of change in the film adaptation. She is portrayed as a beautiful and stunning water-demon instead of a horrific monster. Her devious trap to seduce any brave warrior that comes to her lair gives an origin of Grendel’s existence. In addition, it connects the halves of the story and makes the rest of the movie relevant (Wood). The writers didn’t completely change the story, they just used bits and pieces that were in the poem to make the story more viewer friendly. An example is the golden dragon cup. This object was in the poem, but in the movie it becomes much more