Adapting Beowulf: Poetry and Plot Holes
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Date
2024
Authors
Carkeek-Hercey, Amalia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Beowulf, the Old English narrative poem, tells the story of the titular Beowulf and his heroic deeds. It is considered a classic of English literature and is commonly called an epic, despite scholarly disagreements about the usefulness and accuracy of the term as it applies to the unique poem. The question of the poem’s genre has endured and developed over the course of 200 years of academic study, with various authors proposing possible options. The modern culture of mass entertainment and literacy today has encouraged lay-person engagement with the poem, generating dozens of adaptations of Beowulf in various mediums, including theater, graphic novels, literary novels, poetry, and films. I propose to look at a selection of academic investigations into the genre of Beowulf and use their findings to discuss one particular adaptation, the 2007 film Beowulf, and how the changes made by the film reflect an evolving understanding of the poem, and literary fiction in general, among popular audiences.
Description
37 pages
Keywords
Medieval, Genre, Old English, Film, Adaptation