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

among some of the citizens. Unferth says “‘You’re Beowulf, are you-the same boastful fool who fought a swimming match with Brecca, both of you daring and young and proud, exploring the deepest seas risking your lives for no reason but the danger?’” (Beowulf, 21).
In the film adaptation of Beowulf, there was a scene where a fisherman senses the presence of Grendel. He leaves the marsh to warn the villagers and everyone simply laughs at him. King Hrothgar tells the fisherman that Harot “cannot be breached by such a fiend!” (Animated Epics: Beowulf). It was unwise of Hrothgar to laugh at the fisherman. He should have listened when he was warned of the danger of Grendel and he could have saved his village from a lot grief. The book introduced Grendel as “A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as day after day the music rang loud in that hall (Beowulf, 14).” Both introductions do a good job, but the one from the book provides more fear and a better sense of urgency and danger.
The other character that the movie included that the book neglected is the man who stole the gold from the dragon’s lair. A villager stumbled upon the dragon’s lair and stole some of its treasures before it could discover him. The dragon was angered and took out his wrath on the village looking for the man. However, the man passed the treasure along so that the dragon could not find him. In the book this was not mentioned; Beowulf simply went to the dragon’s lair to fight it.
The most important similarity between the two stories is the ending where Beowulf needs assistance and the only man to help is Wiglaf.

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

courage.
In conclusion, both accounts of the tale of Beowulf are very similar, although the differences that set them apart are quite significant.

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

Beowulf’s followers felt about him by saying, “And so Beowulf’s followers rode, mourning their beloved leader, crying that no better leader ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise” (Beowulf, 37). The book more effectively showed the respect and gratitude of Beowulf’s people, as well as the impact that he had on them.