Beowulf

Today’s modern society moves at a break neck speed at all times. This ability to be fast in every aspect of life has cultivated the growth of text to picture movies based on classic novels. The epic poem Beowulf goes very much into the importance of the Christian overtones whereas the film version attempts to omit the religious atmosphere with other possibilities of events. The movie version of Beowulf adds certain aspects to the story, such as the creation of Beowulf’s son, and the suicide of Hrothgar, while also omitting the emphasis of religion that is omnipresent in the text version. In the cinematic version of Beowulf, the dragon is revealed to be Beowulf’s son, whose mother is Grendel’s mother. In conjunction, it is implied that Grendel was the offspring of Grendel’s mother and Hrothgar. After Beowulf vanquishes Grendel’s mother, Hrothgar commits suicide. The people of Herot suspect that Hrothgar’s suicide is relevant to the recent death of Grendel’s mother, which scares Beowulf because he knows that rather than kill Grendel’s mother, he has impregnated Grendel’s mother with what will later be the dragon. But, in addition to these additions, there is a very obvious omission of a religious presence. The author of the poem seems to emphasis that everything is dictated by God above and is not simply left up to chance. The addition of Hrothgar’s suicide and Beowulf’s son as well as the omission of a religious aspect separates the movie and the text. The addition of Beowulf’s son and Hrothgar’s suicide gives a motive behind Beowulf slaying the dragon where the exclusion of the religious atmosphere leaves a logical fallacy. Beowulf nobly goes on all his life’s journeys in the name of the Weather-Geats, but more importantly in the name of his Lord. Beowulf is always sure to thank his god for his conquests and praise Him, as well as trust Him in future conquests. Beowulf’s devotion to his Lord is the motive for the slaying of the dragon. But in the movie