Beowulf
epic poem
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Composed toward the end of the first millennium of our era, Beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel's mother. He then returns to his own country and dies in old age in a vivid fight against a dragon. The poem is about encountering the monstrous, defeating it, and then having to live on in the exhausted aftermath. In the contours of this story, at once remote and uncannily familiar at the end of the twentieth century, Seamus Heaney finds a resonance that summons power to the poetry from deep beneath its surface.
Adaptations (5)
Beowulf has been adapted into 5 films, from 1981 to 2007. The most recent is Beowulf: Prince of the Geats (2007).
Grendel Grendel Grendel1981 · film · 88 min · dir. Alex Stitt · IMDb ↗IMDb6.7This is an animated story covering the ancient legend of Beowulf, as narrated by Grendel himself, the "monster" in the legend. Aimed more at adults than children, this version holds some interesting twists on the traditional tale, and is based on a novel by American critic and academic John Gardner.
Beowulf1998 · film · 95 min · dir. Graham Baker · IMDb ↗IMDb4.10%Beowulf is a wanderer who learns about a man-eating creature called Grendel, which comes in the night to devour warriors trapped at the Outpost. The Outpost is ruled by Hrothgar. He has a daughter, whose husband may have been murdered by the Outpost's master of arms.
Beowulf & Grendel2005 · film · 103 min · dir. Sturla Gunnarsson · IMDb ↗The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster.
Beowulf2007 · film · 115 min · dir. Robert Zemeckis · IMDb ↗A 6th-century Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf embarks on a mission to slay the man-like ogre, Grendel.
- Beowulf: Prince of the Geats2007 · film · dir. Scott Wegener · IMDb ↗IMDb5.6
An adventurer travels to Denmark to fight an unstoppable creature before becoming king of a viking nation.
