Beowulf Vs Epic Poem

The epic poem Beowulf has many different adaptations, some truer to the original than others. Even the poem is an adaptation of its original oral tale. These revisions may provide some clarity in the original tale. For example, the original tale was in Old English. Not everyone can understand Old English, so the story was altered for the understanding of a broader audience. Different versions of Beowulf may provide information the story was lacking. Some of the changes made are merely for entertainment purposes. They make the story more intriguing for generations to come. So, how different are these versions of Beowulf? Were these changes good contributions or did they stray too far from the original? The first analysis is the differences …show more content…
It also has a much more sexual disposition. Both have themes centered on morality but depict them in entirely different ways. The poem tells a tale of an epic hero who proves that good will always prevail over evil. The movie takes a much darker approach to a lesson in morals by depicting cause and effect of immoral actions. The movie does not stay very true to the original poem; however, it does stay truer to what life would have been like in that era. Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia during the Medieval Ages, meaning that the valiant and violent warriors in the story would closely resemble the Vikings. Though the poem defines the characters as honest, God-fearing heroes, the movie shows them as being drunken brutes. The king is not strong and honorable, but rather crass and harsh. The poem does not mention slavery, servitude, or any abuse of peasants but these are frequented throughout the movie. Serfdom was commonplace in the Medieval Ages, so it is understandable the movie would include it. The movie also strips down Beowulf’s larger-than-life persona to a more realistic expectation of a man. Much of Beowulf’s fame is stripped down to mere hyperbole and raises doubts about his true abilities. Beowulf appears much more human than he does in the poem with questionable morals and a plethora of flaws. Hollywood’s interpretation of Beowulf creates a much more exciting and dramatic mood than the poem. The “monsters” have a much greater depth of character than those in the poem. They are assigned more human-like appearances, emotions, and expressions. They become much more relatable to the characters as well as the viewers. The attacks waged on Herot are not a product of Hellish beings loathing their happy existence, but rather a cost for the sins of its great rulers. The creatures are bred out of human greed rather than the need for antagonists to further the plot. The movie fills in the blanks the poem