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Compare And Contrast Beowulf

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Beowulf the great is a shown to be heroic and savior of the weak. "Beowulf" a movie by, Robert Zemeckis is based on the well-known poem Beowulf written by the Anglo Saxon society but has its own Hollywood twist. The movie is very similar to the poem but, the portrayal of characters, expression of the Anglo Saxon society compared to the modern American society, and the role of women.

In the poem, both great characters are shown, Beowulf the Geat and Hrothgar the Scylding. However, the movie shows a fat alcoholic king and a hero that lies constantly. For example, the movie starts off with Hrothgar throwing a party in his great Meadhall that can be seen as a similarity but the biggest difference is that during the party Hrothgar is drinking also he has only a towel covering him up. In addition, the movie Beowulf says he fights great monsters at sea and then encounters a great sea beast and “slays her” by the look of the scene we knew what kind of slaying he did. The poem, on the other hand, says he fights every beast killing it. It is interesting how the movie and poem are different showings two different cultural views, The Modern Society and the Anglo Saxons. …show more content…

Also, the poem shows that women do not have much of a role in their era but the movie shows having a big role. For example, Wealhtheow is seen on various occasions throughout the movie. Meanwhile, the poem mentions her at the beginning. Women in Modern America do have a much bigger role, now women take higher positions of power than men, to Anglo Saxons and much older societies women were always seen as

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