Cultural Similarities Between Beowulf And Grendel

The cultural values of the Anglo-Saxon people reflected what might be considered a more simplistic mindset as opposed to those possessed by modern peoples, which tend to be more complex. Moreover, the cultural values of the Anglo-Saxon people can be represented through characters in the epic poem Beowulf (Heaney). The Anglo-Saxons believed that everything fell into the categories of either good or evil, with no room for anything in between. Today we like to believe that people act and think a certain way because of their upbringing and environment, not because they were born good or bad. The writers of the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson), in effort to increase the enjoyment of modern viewers, inject modern values into the situations …show more content…
That person would not be justified as being evil because they were born that way is a modern value. In the opening scene of the film Beowulf and Grendel, Grendel witnesses his father being murdered by King Hrothgar and his men. Grendel witnesses his father’s manslaughter in front of him deepens the reasons to his actions. This adjustment made by the writers implants complexity to the story-line which in turn stimulates the audience’s reaction to the scene. In the film, Grendel has more human qualities to him such as appearing human and having child-like behavior. He has the capabilities to speak and comprehend also displaying his child-like behavior by emulating a game of bowling. The cave Grendel grows up in, contains the head of his father to remind him how his father was murdered. Therefore, causing Grendel to have the motive to strike revenge against the Danes. When Grendel invades the mead hall he murders the group of men that helped kill his father. This displays Grendel is able to distinguish who should and should not be killed, but the Grendel in the epic kills whoever is in the mead hall. More of modern day values is inputted into Grendel in the film than Grendel in the …show more content…
Beowulf is known as the Geatish hero who comes to help Hrothgar kill Grendel. Beowulf has a sense of confidence to him because he boasts about killing Grendel with only his bare hands. He gives an example about his strength by boosting about killing five sea monsters during his swimming match “ when I battled and bound five beasts, …” (29). Beowulf says that he and his men will stay the night in the mead hall and kill the Grendel or to die trying. The epic battle scene arises in the poem when Grendel bursts into the mead hall killing one man in his sleep beginning the bloodbath that will occur. Beowulf holds Grendel with his hands and starts inflicting wounds on him which takes Grendel by surprise since no one had ever been able to defeat him. Beowulf has no mercy for the demon that has been wreaking havoc and rips Grendel’s arm off. Hrothgar graciously gives gifts to Beowulf for restoring peace in the mead hall. Beowulf accepts the gifts with great honor and takes his men to sail back to