Differences And Similarities Between 'Hrothgar And Beowulf'

“Beowulf”, the original poem existed in a single manuscript, which was forgotten for nearly 600 years. J.R.R Tolkien then rediscovered the poem in 1939. The film later came out in 2007 as a 3D adult animated epic fantasy. In both genres, the story takes place in Scandinavia during the 5th century. In both versions, Beowulf travels to Denmark to rid the monster, Grendel who has been terrorizing the Danes. However, the movie is different from the book because the characters’ relationships are portrayed differently, as well as the depiction of what an effective leader is, and how women can use their sex to manipulate men.

Unlike the movie, the book Beowulf does not state that Hrothgar and Beowulf each has a son with Grendel’s mother. For example,

in the book, Beowulf’s objective was to kill Grendel and his mother; which were both successful. This proves that Beowulf wanted glory for his people and not lust/sex. Another point that I would like to add is that although Hrothgar’s wife was rarely mentioned in the book, the book has proven Hrothgar to be a “good” king and was not romantically connected to Grendel’s mother at all. Although, the movie is quite drastically different from the book, the creators of the film wanted to convey a romantic connection between the heroes and Grendel’s mother because it helped convey a clear conflict to the audience.
Another difference between the movie and the book is that the movie negatively depicts Hrothgar and Beowulf as flawed kings.

For example, in the book, both Hrothgar and Beowulf are portrayed as “good” kings because of their bravery and compassion towards their Thanes. However, in the movie, Hrothgar was portrayed as a crude drunkard who made poor decisions in the past and thus, impacting him negatively in the long run. Also, Beowulf was portrayed differently in the movie because he was depicted as a constant liar who was tempted by lust and greed. The intention for the movie was to convey a clear distinction between what a “good” king is and what a “bad” king is. Due to this misrepresentation in the movie, both Hrothgar and Beowulf were perceived as flawed kings, when in the book, Beowulf is considered as the “perfect” hero and Hrothgar, a promising

king.
Lastly, in the movie, the female characters were portrayed as being sexual objects.

For example, in the movie, Grendel’s mother, who was the main female antagonist, tempted both Beowulf and Hrothgar because of her desire to have a son. However, in the book, Grendel’s mother was not portrayed as a venereal vixen, but as a monstrous “hag”. Another point that I would like to add is that in the book, Wealtheow was rarely mentioned, but in the movie, she was one of the main characters; she and Beowulf also shared mutual feelings for one another. Characters such as Grendel’s mother and Wealtheow represent how women could use their sex to manipulate men. Therefore, this shows that men are weak for lust, sex, and

greed.
Except for the plot twist of Grendel’s mother having an affair with both Hrothgar and Beowulf, the storyline of the movie was quite similar to the storyline of the book. Although, the characters’ relationships are portrayed differently, as well as the depiction of what an effective leader is, and how women can use their sex to manipulate men, the theme remains the same that in order for someone to be considered a “good hero”, they must be honest, selfless, and understand right from wrong. Moreover, in the movie and the book, both Beowulf and Hrothgar was able to portray what an effective leader and what an ineffective leader acts like. Thus, illustrating what a “good hero” is and what a “bad hero” is.