Beowulf Comparison Essay

Beowulf is a very appealing novel as well as a film. The novel Beowulf and the film have many similarities, but they have more differences then anything. While watching the film I noticed many added parts that were not included in the novel. In the film, Grendel’s arm caught is caught on a rope as he’s trying to escape. As the men get closer he has no choice but to cut his own arm off in order to escape, this action is an actual animal reaction when their limb gets caught, the eat their own limb off. This event does not occur in the novel. In the novel Grendel is described as an evil monster with claws, while in the film he appears to be a regular human being. There is also some romance that goes on in the film. Another difference is that the novel is written in very old English while the English in the film seems a little more modern. Religion also seemed to play an important role in the film that it didn’t play on the novel. Before I watched the film I expected an ugly demon looking thing to play the role of Grendel, but instead he was just a very tall man with birth defects. In my opinion Grendel is not the monster the book makes him out to be. When Beowulf becomes furious with Grendel he begins to mimic Beowulf in amusement. While in the novel Grendel becomes angry and goes completely wild. I found both the novel and the movie amusing because they both had something different to offer. Reading the book allows you to visualize the characters and what their personality traits are going to be like. The novel will also allow me to better understand the climax and main points. As far as the film goes, it really helped me comprehend what is going on in the story, due to the novel being in Old English. After reading the novel I expected the film to be distinctively different, especially the way Grendel was portrayed. Despite the differences from the novel and the film, they both give me a clear understanding of what is occurring in the story.