Grendel And Beowulf Comparison Essay

Beowulf, nearly a god among men, a valiant warrior among the Danes, slayer of the beastly Grendel and his mother, the king of Geatland; or so he appears to be, in the original epic. In the movie Beowulf and Grendel, there appear to be some keen differences, not just in Beowulf himself, but the story entirely such as characters and themes. The first apparent difference is the main character, Beowulf. In the epic(Heaney), Beowulf is portrayed as nothing short of perfect, showing zero signs of flaws of any kind. He is a man of his word, fulfilling any promises or vows he makes, even if it costs him his life. He is also a very prideful and boastful man, but is deemed the “hero of heroes” for his imperturbable attitude and will to fight for his beliefs. These traits, combined with the seemingly superhuman capabilities Beowulf has and his vast battle knowledge, draw Beowulf as more of a superhero than anything else. Although, Beowulf does lack sentimental values, such as empathy, compassion, understanding, and so on. He does not consider, or at least understand, any possible emotions conveyed by Grendel and why he is attacking. …show more content…
This Beowulf actually develops as the story progresses, and you’ll find that he is not the same man as he once was in the beginning as well as the poem. Beowulf realizes Grendel requires a motive to fight, that he does not kill just to kill. He also empathizes with the troll towards the middle of the movie, realizing why he was fighting in the first place and teaching Beowulf compassion. He also becomes merciful, leaving Grendel’s son alive after killing his father and grandmother. He discovers Grendel and his family are no less human than he is which encourages his growth in becoming a more heroic figure, by finding his own mistakes and capitalizing on