The document provides a comparative analysis of the epic poem Beowulf and the 2007 film Beowulf. There are significant differences in how major characters like Grendel, Grendel's mother, King Hrothgar, and Beowulf himself are portrayed between the original poem and the modern film adaptation. While the poem focuses on Beowulf's heroic acts and eventual death battling a dragon, the film takes more creative liberties with the story, including portraying Grendel as Hrothgar's son and Grendel's mother seducing Beowulf.

1. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
BETWEEN THE EPIC
POEM AND THE 2007
FILM
BEOWULF

2. BEOWULF: History
• An Old English epic poem
consisting of 3,182 alliterative
lines. It may be the oldest
surviving long poem in Old English
and is commonly cited as one of
the most important works of Old
English literature.
• The poem deals with legends, was
composed for entertainment, and
does not separate between
fictional elements and real historic
events.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

3. BEOWULF SUMMARY (POEM)
The protagonist Beowulf, a
hero of the Geats, comes to
the aid of Hrothgar, king of
the Danes, whose great
hall, Heart, is plagued by the
monster Grendel. Beowulf
kills Grendel with his bare
hands and Grendel's mother
with a giant's sword that he
found in her lair.

4. Later in his life, Beowulf
becomes king of the Geats, and finds
his realm terrorized by a dragon,
some of whose treasure had been
stolen from his hoard in a burial
mound. He attacks the dragon with
the help of his thegns or servants,
but they do not succeed. Beowulf
decides to follow the dragon to its
lair at Earnanæs, but only his young
Swedish relative Wiglaf, whose name
means “remnant of valour,” dares to
join him. Beowulf finally slays the
dragon, but is mortally wounded in
the struggle. He is cremated and a
burial mound by the sea is erected in
his honor.

5. BEOWULF PLOT (FILM)
In Denmark, A.D. 507,
the realm of King Hrothgar is
threatened by the tormented
demon Grendel that attacks the
locals in their celebrations. The
Danish king offers a reward for
the death of the creature,
attracting to Herot the brave
Geat warrior Beowulf that seeks
for glory. After a fierce battle,
Beowulf defeats the demon and
after receiving an old relic as
reward, he finds his men
slaughtered in the party saloon
of the castle.

6. BEOWULF PLOT (FILM)
King Hrothgar advises that the Grendel's mother was
responsible for the bloodshed, and Beowulf chases her in the lake
where she lives. The creature takes the form of a seductive woman
and seduces Beowulf with a promise of becoming an invincible and
wealthy king if he makes love to her and gives his golden relic to
her. Years later, King Beowulf feels the aftermath of his sin.

7. BEOWULF: OPENING
(POEM)

8. The epic poem opens up
with a discussion of the great
Dane king, Shield Sheafson,
and how their royal line came
to be. Kings had come and go;
then Hrothgar came to power
and ruled the Danes. Under
Hrothgar, the Danes prospered
and had great military success.
To show his success, Hrothgar
decided to build a mead hall
where he could distribute the
goods or spoils of war, soldiers
listen to stories and songs.
Hrothgar named the mead hall
as Heorot.

9. Grendel, a monster and
a descendant of Cain
emerged from his
swampy lair and came to
listen to the celebration
at Heorot, but was
angered when he heard
the Bard’s songs about
God’s creation. Once the
men in the mead hall
were fast asleep,
Grendel attacked and
slaughtered them.

10. BEOWULF: OPENING
(FILM)

13. KING HROTHGAR
POEM
- A wise and aged ruler
- Force of stability in
the social realm
- He is a father figure to
Beowulf
- Model for the kind of
king that Beowulf
becomes
- Solidly rooted in the
heroic code
- Believes in God
FILM
- Womanizing
alcoholic
- Father of
Grendel
- Careless
- Committed
suicide
- Pagan
- King of the Danes

14. GRENDEL
POEM
- A demon descended
from Cain
- Grendel preys on
Hrothgar’s warriors
in the king’s mead-
hall, Heorot
- Attacks Heorot for 12
years
- Lives in a swamp
FILM
- Hypersensitive
hearing
- Son of King
Hrothgar
- Attacks Heorot
for two days only
- Lives in a cave
- Grotesque
- Monster
- Spawned in
slime
- Has human
emotions
- Ruthless and
miserable

15. ARRIVAL OF
BEOWULF
(POEM)

16. Beowulf, a young
warrior in Geatland
(southwestern Sweden), comes
to the Scyldings' aid, bringing
with him 14 of his finest men.
Hrothgar once sheltered
Beowulf's father during a
deadly feud, and the mighty
Geat hopes to return the favor
while enhancing his own
reputation and gaining treasure
for his king, Hygelac.

17. ARRIVAL OF
BEOWULF
(FILM)

19. BEOWULF
POEM
- In his youth, he
personifies all of the
best values of the
heroic culture
- In his old age, he
proves a wise and
effective ruler.
- Becomes king of the
Gaets
FILM
- Arrogant
- Womanizer
- Seeks glory for
his own
- Father of a
dragon
- Becomes king
of the Danes
- Great warrior
- Gaetish hero
who fights
Grendel,
Grendel’s
mother, and a
fire-breathing
dragon
- Died a hero

20. BATTLE WITH
GRENDEL
(POEM)

21. The feast ends.
Beowulf and his men take the
place of Hrothgar’s followers
and lie down to sleep in
Heorot. Beowulf, however, is
fully awake, eager to meet his
enemy.

22. The ensuing battle
nearly destroys the great
hall, but Beowulf emerges
victorious as he rips
Grendel's claw from its
shoulder socket, sending
the mortally wounded beast
fleeing to his mere (pool).
The claw trophy hangs high
under the roof of Heorot.

23. BATTLE WITH
GRENDEL
(FILM)

25. THE SLOW DEATH
OF GRENDEL
(POEM)

26. Grendel went back
to his swamp and
died there.

27. THE SLOW DEATH
OF GRENDEL
(FILM)

29. THE
MONSTER’S
MOTHER
(POEM)

30. Grendel’s monster
mother, in grief of her
son, next attacks Heorot,
and in her dripping claws
carries off one man—
Hrothgar’s closest friend.
The monster also carries
off Grendel’s arm, which
Beowulf had hung high
from the rafters. Beowulf
is awakened and called
for again.

31. Carrying the sword
Hrunting, Beowulf goes to
the lake. He first tries to
strike her with Hrunting,
but the blade cannot hurt
her. He then spots a
gigantic sword among her
hoarded treasure and uses
it to cleave her throat, but
her acidic blood melts all
but the sword's hilt.
Beowulf eventually killed
the monster.

32. THE
MONSTER’S
MOTHER
(FILM)

34. GRENDEL’S MOTHER
POEM
- Monster
- Less powerful
compared to
Grendel
- Killed by Beowulf
FILM
- Beautiful
- Cunning
- Seductress
- Had an adulterous
relationship with
Hrothgar that
results to Grendel
being born
- Seduces Beowulf
- Mothered Beowulf’s
dragon son
- Did not die
- Mother of
Grendel
- Angered by the
death of her son
- Killed Beowulf’s
men at the mead
hall

35. WEALTHEOW
POEM
- Mother
of Hrethic and
Hrothmund. She is a
good and generous
queen.
- Believes in God
FILM
- Attracted to
Beowulf
- Married Beowulf
- Loves Beowulf
until the very end
- Queen of the
Danes
- Wife of
Hrothgar

36. WIGLAF
POEM
- Relative of Beowulf
- Young warrior
FILM
- Old warrior
- Beowulf’s closest
friend
- Beowulf’s most
trusted warrior
- Helped Beowulf
in killing the
dragon
- Became king
after Beowulf
died

37. BEOWULF BECOMES KING
(POEM)
Source: http://www.sparknotes.com/free-pdfs/uscellular/download/beowulf.pdf

38. BEOWULF
BECOMES KING
(FILM)

40. THE FINAL
BATTLE
(POEM)

41. A fiery dragon has become enraged because a lone
fugitive has inadvertently discovered the dragon's treasure-
trove and stolen a valuable cup. The dragon terrorizes the
countryside at night, burning several homes, including
Beowulf's. Led by the fugitive, Beowulf and eleven of his men
seek out the dragon's barrow. Beowulf insists on taking on the
dragon alone, but his own sword, Naegling, is no match for the
monster. Seeing his king in trouble, one thane, Wiglaf, goes to
his assistance. The others flee to the woods. Together, Wiglaf
and Beowulf kill the dragon, but the mighty king is mortally
wounded. Dying, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to Wiglaf and
requests that his body be cremated in a funeral pyre and buried
high on a seaside cliff where passing sailors might see the
barrow.

43. THE FINAL BATTLE
(FILM)

45. DRAGON
POEM
- Greedy
- Went on a
rampage after a
thief steals a
valuable cup
- Killed by Beowulf
and Wiglaf
FILM
- Son of Grendel’s
mother and Beowulf
- Half-man half-dragon
- Vengeful
- Went on a rampage
to kill Beowulf
- Killed by Beowulf
only
- Killed by
Beowulf