Sir Gawain

The arrival at the beach made me think of Beowulf and his arrival on shore with his warriors. Beowulf as a captain leads his men, all geared up with fighting equipment and weapons, ready to kill and defend the country and it" people. So were the soldiers in the film. Captain Miller, shouting orders, leading his men towards the enemy line, ready to kill; just as Beowulf, leads his warriors across the sea to fight the threatening monster. The destructive surroundings in the film, buildings torn by the enemy, houses crushed are similar to the destruction that Grendel leaves behind in Heorot. In both cases, the enemy keeps coming, ruining, killing, and leaving no mercy. .
             Sir Gawain and Beowulf as well as the soldiers in the film keep going with their mission, despite the dangers ahead. No matter how scary and strenuous the challenges were, both warriors and soldiers proved their boldness, strength, and audacity. Gawain, alone, rode and fought the enemies on his way towards his challenge. Beowulf, with an army for back up, chooses to fight alone, and prove his bravery and strength. The soldiers in the film with little resources manage to work together, stay on task and outwit the enemy. The similarity here would be the force of going along with the mission, not giving up and fighting to the end. .
             At last, I would like to point out the religious references in the film and those in the poems. There were several times that religion was brought up in the film. Kissing of the cross and saying a prayer before he was about to shoot the enemy, guided that soldier, helped him focus and gather strength. As it is known, the medieval era was the time where religion played a major role in the lives of the people. It is noticeable in various contexts within the poems. Both of the warriors, Gawain and Beowulf, mention God a great deal, either praying for safety, or thanking God for strength.