Differences And Similarities Between Beowulf And Grendel

The cultural values of Beowulf (Heaney) and Beowulf & Grendel (Gunnarsson) differ greatly in that the original characters in the book are not nearly as dynamic as they are in the movie. Beowulf, Hrothgar, and Grendel in the original poem contrast significantly, each with different characteristics, from their roles in the movie. Beowulf is a true hero in the poem. His character exhibits dominance, authority, and heroism; all the while his physical attributes include a large and stout figure and extreme strength. He demands respect from those who try to test or degrade him. Beowulf reigns supreme over all his counterparts and maintains the same character throughout the whole book. This Beowulf also paid much respect towards God, a higher …show more content…
Grendel is a prime example of this; he is an evil descendant of Cain who possesses cultural values of Old English with his cruel, evil, and savage actions. Grendel in Beowulf was a demon descendant coming from the family lineage of Cain. He was a huge beast that held many animal-like attributes and was immune to any weapons that the Danes and Geats attempted to use against him. Grendel terrorizes Hrothgar’s kingdom by going throughout the dwellings of the Danes, ripping flesh from bone, and consuming the people with absolutely no remorse. He also terrorizes the mead hall known as Heorot, this is where he commits his most heinous acts; mutilating and gormandizing almost all of Hrothgar’s warriors. Grendel’s motives for reigning terror on the Danes is out of envy. The original Grendel in the book is a cutthroat villain. On the other hand, the character of Grendel in “Beowulf & Grendel” is a rather vulnerable villain. Although he does not differ too much from the original character, the differences that do distinguish them are very significant. For starters, Grendel is a villain with reason. He only terrorizes a people who he deems accountable for the death of his father. His motives for killing people in the film are out of vengeance in memoriam to his father. Another significant factor that reflects the difference in cultural values is that Grendel shows compassion for specific …show more content…
Old English values differ significantly with the dynamic and new-era values of the twenty-first century Hollywood. In Beowulf you have Beowulf, the valiant and honorable warrior who maintains dominance throughout the whole story, saving the Danes from terror, while in Beowulf & Grendel you have a Beowulf who is compassionate, indifferent to God, and a developing character considering his surroundings. In the poem, King Hrothgar is a wise and noble man who has respect from Beowulf and the ones he rules over. Contrary to that, the Hrothgar in the film is a pitiful man who begs for Beowulf to save the Danes. He lacks honor and is a rather vulnerable character. Finally, Grendel is a horrific and zealous terrorist to the Danes. A savage beast filled with rage, he has no remorse on any of his victims. Contradictory to the evil character he is supposed to be, in the film, Grendel is a very humanized character who shows remorse and sympathy for people. He mates and reproduces with a witch and even has his own language. This Grendel only kills those who he can hold accountable for the killing of his father and spares the lives of others. The cultural values are evidently different between the poem and the film. The significant factors shown in the actions and personalities of each character enable the audience to distinguish the values of Old English and twenty-first century Hollywood. In the words of