Student Question
Compare the Beowulf and Grendel fight scene in the poem to that in the film.
Quick answer:
In the poem, Beowulf fights Grendel with his bare hands to showcase his strength. In contrast, the film depicts Beowulf fighting nude, emphasizing a "fate will decide" theme. The movie also presents a more sexually charged atmosphere in the mead hall, with warriors depicted as buffoons. During the fight, Grendel shrinks as Beowulf gains the upper hand, and Beowulf severs Grendel's arm by slamming it with the hall doors, unlike the poem's depiction.
Firstly, in the poem, Beowulf merely fights Grendel with his bare hands alone. This is to show off his strength. In the movie, Beowulf insists on fighting completely in the nude since Grendel has no armor, so "fate will decide" which of them is worthy.
Secondly, the atmosphere of the mead hall is far more sexually charged in the movie. The warriors crave women and sing bawdy songs to draw Grendel to the hall, instead of Grendel merely preying upon the men at night without having to be lured there by sound. The warriors are also portrayed largely as buffoons, more obsessed with sex and alcohol than any higher values.
During the fight itself in the movie, Grendel shrinks as Beowulf gets the upper hand. Also, instead of ripping Grendel's arm off with his bare hands, Beowulf chains Grendel's arm, then slams the giant hall doors onto it to get the arm to sever.
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