Grendel Vs Beowulf Essay

In the movie Beowulf and Grendel the hero Beowulf is a modern version of what we as people picture a self-reliant. In Beowulf the Anglo-Saxon epic, the stories interpretation of what Anglo-Saxons believe was a way to earn one’s free will, make a name for oneself, and choose one's fate. Beowulf exists as one of the only characters in the book and movie who face the reality of trying to become his own person and having to live with the fact that until he becomes great he will live in his father's shadow, and be known only as “Beowulf, Son of Ecgtheow.”
These two tales have different perspectives based on the time periods they were introduced, thus, allowing for the promulgation of different beliefs. Although the Beowulf of the epic seems to have been free of will, he does not exercise that freedom, reflecting an Anglo-Saxon mindset that did not consider free will a significant value. In the movie, however, he did what he thought was right and at the end of the film we see a different Beowulf, one of …show more content…
He arrives on the island of the Danes and the King greets him with a warm welcome. He knows that Beowulf will defeat Grendel, because his father was a man of great nobility and an honorable being. Beowulf, wanting to keep his name unsullied will do whatever it takes to defeat the putrid beast Grendel. In modern day films like Beowulf and Grendel, we as viewers have to have some prior knowledge of how Beowulf gained his reputation. We are not given that knowledge, but little by little we understand more in depth why Beowulf feels that he must consummate with certain tasks even though he feels they are not right. The beowulf we see is one that has compassion and feels emotions toward other characters. Although, this may seem irrelevant, it's germane because it allows us to capture the character’s mindset and how it makes him the hero, allowing us to perceive how Beowulf gained his name and