Beowulf Essay

            The story of Beowulf is an epic poem that was passed down orally for many years until one day it was finally written down. The story had both some likenesses and some differences between the text and the movie when it came to the main events of the story. One difference was the battle between Beowulf and Grendal’s Mother. Another difference was when Beowulf becomes a king. Then my final difference was the way Beowulf was buried.

            The battle between Beowulf and Grendal’s Mother was one of the greatest differences. Due to the change in the movie in this one scene it changed some later events that occurred. In the text a group of Beowulf’s men and the Danes came with him to off to defeat Grendal’s Mother. Then also in the text Grendal’s Mother was killed by Beowulf. Now in the movie the only person with Beowulf when it came to the part when it was time to defeat Grendal’s Mother the only one to “see him off was Wiglaf.” Also Grendal’s Mother was nowhere near killed at the hands of Beowulf. Grendal’s Mother tempted Beowulf, and Beowulf ends up sleeping with Grendal’s Mom. Once back everybody questioned why didn’t Beowulf bring back the head of Grendal’s Mothers head along with Grendal’s head. In the text nobody asks why Beowulf didn’t bring Grendal’s Mother's head too. 

            In the movie and in the text Beowulf becomes a king. In the text Beowulf goes home to Sweden and becomes king there. Also he ends up becoming king there in Sweden is because the old king died of old age. While in the movie Beowulf never goes home and becomes the king of Danes instead. How he becomes king in the movie is when the king resides his throne to go to Beowulf when he dies. Then out of nowhere the king jumps off the edge of the Herot and kills himself.

          How Beowulf was buried was different in the text then the movie. There was one

likeness which was that Beowulf went with the treasures. Other than that there were no more likenesses. One of the differences was that in the text Beowulf was buried under the tower the dragon lived in. In the movie Beowulf was buried in a boat going into the sea. Then in the text the treasure was buried and put in the sand under the tower. While in the movie the treasure was burned at sea.