Beowulf And The 13th Warrior Analysis

Beowulf is an epic poem written a long time ago. The 13th Warrior is pretty much a movie based on Beowulf but not exactly. The two pieces of literature both shared a lot of differences and similarities as well. The 13th Warrior offered a more realistic, believable, and more understanding of the epic tale of Beowulf. It’s a short story covering the bases of a triumphant hero battling three supernatural monsters. But there had a lot of theatrical remake of the original story; it provides us with the barbaric cannibalistic tribe of the Wendols, which were creatures of the mist. Both the epic Beowulf and the movie the 13th Warrior shared similarities and differences in the struggle of good

Every night the men of Beowulf would stay up late laughing, dancing, drinking; celebrating their greatness. Grendel grew weary of this night after night and eventually sought his revenge. Grendel attacked because he was impatient but the bear men of “The 13th Warrior” had a completely different reason. They were a fairly selfish group of men who wished to dominate other villages around them; therefore they attacked Herot, showing their power. “The 13th Warrior” had to keep something in common with Beowulf in order to be acknowledged as being derived from the epic poem.

Most obvious is the fact both leaders in Beowulf and The 13th Warrior have similar names. Beowulf as we know is Beowulf and in The 13th Warrior the leader’s name is Buliwyf. In Beowulf`s story he is asked by King Hrothgar to save the Danes from Grendel. The completion of this task anger’s Grendel’s mother becoming engorged with revenge. Beowulf also in his old age goes off to defeat a dragon, to save his kingdom, but dies from the venom of its bite. In The 13th Warrior the character Buliwyf was tasked to defeat a race of Wendols. The Wendols are lead by a `Mother` and are thought to be a race of evil. Just as Grendel was believed to be from the ancestral blood line of Cain, looked at as evil in his own right. Buliwyf defeats the mother without a weapon, but never truly defeats the entire race of Wendols. The dragon Buliwyf was supposed to defeat is actually a hoard of Wendols coming to attack Hrothgar`s land. In both the poem and the movie, the king asking for assistance does not change, however the battles and outcomes of them

The epic poem of Beowulf has been around since the 700 ce. It has been passed down by story telling. The poem is a northern european myth. Majority of the action takes place in Denmark, Geatland however, this location is now Southern Sweden. Beowolf is a heroic myth. It is about a hero's journey. The film The 13th Warrior did not do the poem much justice. It had things which were similar and things that were different. The poem is written in third person and the movie in first person. Both have similar names, in the poem the character's name is Beowulf and in the movie it is Buliwyf. In the book there is much symbolism this is made especially with weapons. In the poem it is written they would even sleep with there weapons that is how important

In the time period that the story of Beowulf was first told, a blending of two cultures was taking place. Although Christianity was expanding, there were still pagan values and beliefs practiced within the society. The warrior code is an example of a code of conduct that was essential to the people of the era, particularly to soldiers. Throughout the poem, several aspects of the warrior code are continually used to develop the story. Treasure and rewards given for acts of bravery and valor, the pursuit of glory in an individual(Beowulf himself), and the requirement of vengeance are the elements of the warrior code that are emphasized most in the story.

In The 13th Warrior, the vikings are continuously attacked by the Wendol, a tribe of people that live and fight as if they were bears. This constant fighting in both storylines depicts the Anglo-Saxon notions of bravery and perseverance. They did not cower to the looming threats, instead they fought. The warriors in both Beowulf and The 13th Warrior do not stop fighting when one of their own dies, they persevere. They constantly fight and are willing to go to battle in order to prove their honor and bravery.

In today’s society, we see violence as a way to cope with all types problems. Humans have used violence as a way to resolve issues since ancient times. The poem “Beowulf” was written between the eighth and eleventh century by an anonymous author. The poem recounts the story of a brave warrior, named Beowulf, who battles three great monsters. Two of the monsters, Grendel and Grendel’s Mother, terrorize the people of Daneland and the third monster, the Dragon, lives in Beowulf's homeland. The epic poem “Beowulf” illustrates and normalizes the idea of violence within the Pagan Warrior Culture.

Beowulf is an epic poem that, above all, gives the reader an idea of a time long past; a time when the most important values were courage and integrity. The only factors that could bestow shower fame upon a person were heroic deeds and family lineage. Beowulf, as the paradigm of pagan heroes, exhibited his desire to amass fame and fortune; the only way to do so was to avenge the death of others. This theme of retribution that is ever present throughout the poem seems to color the identities of its characters.

“No better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” This is an ultimate description of the heroic events of Beowulf, an old Anglo-Saxon poem about a warrior who battles and destroys three horrifying monsters. Although written long ago, the emotions expressed within this work, emotions of bravery, valor, and ethics still speak to us centuries later. The anonymous author of the poem convinces us through the masterful use of various literary elements that emphasize its meaning and message. Conflict, imagery and setting are three literary elements that contribute to the effectiveness of the poem.

The story of Beowulf is one of a great hero. Beowulf is a very generous person who is always willing to help out when people are in need. Over the course of the story, Beowulf ends up in three major battles: the battle with Grendel, with Grendel’s mother, and with the dragon. All of these battles were different in their style and the way Beowulf approached them was different. Beowulf also had different reasons to participate in each of the battles.

Religions play various different roles throughout literature, the most common one I think of is Christianity. We will discuss what the role of Religion is in Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and the role in the movie The 13th Warrior. Christianity, Islam, and Anglo-Saxon Paganism are the various Religions’ that are expressed in both the literature and the movie. Since both works are similar, but written in a different point of view because of different beliefs we will discuss the difference between Beowulf and The 13th warrior throughout the paper. Another thing we will be discussing is how the authors use religion in a unique way in both works to portray their story in their own way. Before we begin our comparison we will begin with some information on Anglo-Saxon Paganism and Islam.

Beowulf is the epic hero of this poem. He has all the characteristics that a hero should, such as strength, loyalty and bravery. Not only does he fight for good, but he represents it as well. In the poem, there is contrasting evil present to highlight Beowulf’s heroic

The tone of the poem is also an indicator of the changes in Beowulf. In the first two battles there is an epic tone. Beowulf is gallant and described in a very physical sense. He is adorned in jewels by king Hrothgar and has the utmost confidence. He also has no one relying on him as a thane would a lord. By the final scene the tone is less bounding and more melancholy. Beowulf is less confident, and worries more about his people than his own reputation. The sadness in the tone also reflects the despair of Beowulf’s kinsmen when he has died. This further relates the importance of the king to his

This third comparison will focus on the most famous passage of the poem, which is the culmination of a Hrothgar’s long speech to Beowulf. The main themes are the importance of strength and pride in life, the fragility of life and for the first time, Beowulf is seen here as a human warrior and not for his heroic and divine deeds (lines 1758-1768 in Heaney’s, 1476-1484 in Tolkien’s).

During the medieval times Vikings were known as warriors or heroes. These heroes were known mostly for their superhuman strength. Most stories tell the journey of these warriors and how they are honored after defeating an evil creature. A prime example of this would be the poem of “Beowulf”. Beowulf is known for his superhuman strength as the Vikings or warriors once were. However, Vikings were not only known for their physical qualities, they were also known for their leadership in battle and their interaction with those they serve as well as the courage they displayed. In this poem, Beowulf displays many characteristics as that of a medieval warrior through his acts of bravery, loyalty, generosity, courage, and an accomplishment of a great task.