Discrepancies In Beowulf

The Discrepancies between characters in Modern-day movie

and the Old English epic Beowulf

Several differences exist in the Modern day movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson) and the Old English Epic Beowulf (Heaney). These differences can largely be attributed to the discrepancies in cultural values that exist between the medieval mind and that of the modern man. One of the main differences between them involves the characters’ personalities and attitudes. We can see this characteristic, particularly in Beowulf himself, mainly because in the epic his perspective reflects his limited understanding regarding the relationship between evil and good. Likewise, in the movie Beowulf and Grendel, the viewer sees a Beowulf who learns to possess an outlook on life that suggests a more complex

understanding, mimicking that of the modern mindset.
In the period of the Anglo-Saxons, redemption was almost non-existent. Therefore in the Old English epic Beowulf, if one were the descendant of someone evil one would be cataloged as evil, as well. The mindset can be perfectly regarded by the use of kinship in the poem Beowulf. For example, the way the author describes the Grendel as a “grim demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath, and the desolate fens, he had dwelt for a time in misery, along with the banished monster, Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcast. For the killing of Abel, the Eternal Lord had exacted a price” (Heaney,9). Giving that Grendel is a descendant of Cain, who killed his brother Abel, he conveys wickedness in himself.
A further discrepancy surrounding the book Beowulf can be distinguished in the purpose of his battles. The victories Beowulf got for the act of defeating evil and enemies provides honor and glory to his name leading to immortality. Immortality means that people would keep talking about him even after his death and he would be remembered as a hero who fears nothing. “Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.For every one of us, living in this world means waiting for our end. Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark”(Heaney,97). Clearly, one could argue that the statement can easily be supported by the way that the legend of Beowulf is still being read today. In spite of his death, decreed by fate, he has, nonetheless achieved a measure of immortality through his bravery.While in the movie Beowulf and Grendel, he defeats Grendel for the good of the people, ethics and not only to received a reward for his service reward. This radical change gives the sense of heroism everyone expects during the new century due to the complex way of thinking we have.
Also, the way modern people think makes one want a more complex situation in where the hero uses his knowledge not only his strength to win victories. We notice that in the Old English epic the hero, Beowulf, uses his bare hands to rip Grendel’s arm “the story goes that as the pair struggled, mead-benches were smashed and sprung off the floor, gold fitting all...As long as either lived, he was hateful of one another. The monster whole body was in pain, and a tremendous wound appear in his shoulder. Sinews split and the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted the glory of winning; Grendel was driven under the fen-banks, fatally hurt, to his desolate lair ” (Heaney,55) while in the Modern-day movie, Beowulf fastens Grendel from the arm and then the demon rips his arm leading him to his death.
The description in the epic portrays a man whose strength is immense, he does not need the help of any of his arm men or the help of a sword. We observe this quality on the book when the author states that “[He has] heard moreover that the monster scorn in his reckless way to use weapons;therefore, to heighten Hygelac's fame and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend”(Heaney,31). Instead in the movie he struggles to defeat the beast. During the return of Grendel to the hall, after Beowulf and his men have found his hound and destroy his father skull, all men try to end Grendel’s life but no one is able to do even Beowulf himself tries to kill him, but Grendel strength is superior to his. He also needs the help of a sword to kill Grendel. The use of all of this paraphernalia brings Beowulf to a lower level or to the same level as his kinsmen.
In the Modern-Day movie, the hero Beowulf develops an emotional bond towards several characters that give the aspect that he is a human as all of us, showing weakness that creates the feel of remorse, love, sadness and hate.

In the epic, he does not develop any of these characteristics. Everything he does is to try to achieve his immortality. In the movie, he feels attracted towards the witch and later this feeling makes him fall in love with her. A contradictory statement evolves from this specifically characteristic mainly for two reasons. One is the fact of being attracted to the witch. In the Anglo-Saxon period, a witch would be seen as a descendant of Cain and, therefore, would be defined as an outcast due to the dishonor that runs in her blood. Another clue we get that he has feelings is when he encounters Grendel’s son. In his encounter, he first tries to kill him but then he feel remorse after the action he has done (killing his father) and by the fearful look in the child's face. He decides to let the child live. This causes concern due to the fact that he is the son of Grendel, the demon and, therefore, the he carries a wicked spirit with

him.
Therefore, the movie had to change and add several situations to the story in order to achieve success on the viewers. The discrepancies made between the Old English epic Beowulf and the movie Beowulf and Grendel are mainly because of the different way of thinking we have nowadays. Before everything was about strength and supremacy to become a hero and now we expect intelligence, ethics along with strength to call someone a “hero”.