Comparing and Contrasting Film and Literature: Beowulf vs.

The Devil Wears Prada

The study of literature casts light on the meanings in the film, and the study of the film can illuminate the full value of the literature. - Ronald Perrier, From Fiction to Film You have read the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. You have also viewed the contemporary comedy-drama film The Devil Wears Prada directed by David Frankel. The Devil Wears Prada. Dir. David Frankel. Perf. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Stanley Century Fox, 2006. DVD. Tucci. 20th

Additionally, in class you have determined and identified which archetypal roles are present in Beowulf: 1) leader or king, 2) hero, 3) queen/princess/woman, 4) story-tell/poet, 5) loyal subject, and 6) monster. For this assignment, your job is to see which light is cast on the film that enhances your understanding of Beowulf. Do you see similar archetypal roles? If so, which character fulfills the requirements for each role? What has the director included that hints at similarities and differences between the film and the Beowulf? Consider imagery and archetypes. How is each of the following similar or different? Beowulf lighting themes (fame, glory, good vs. evil, violence, mortality, super natural, traditions) color speeches made location (setting) scenes of isolation/scenes of camaraderie The Devil Wears Prada

Your essay must be 950-1,000 words. It must also include parenthetical citation ONLY WHEN YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT THE TEXT OF BEOWULF. You do not have to put a citation in parenthesis for The Devil Wears Prada, but you DO have to include the film title in the sentence in which you are analyzing the film. Here is an example. This particular comparison analyzes the idea of FAME and GLORY. I have written two paragraphs: one on Beowulf and one on The Devil Wears Prada. Notice that each paragraph has at least two examples from the text. If you want to find the online text of Beowulf so that you can copy and paste lines, go here: http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/elements_of_lit_course6/anglo_saxon_period/Unferths%20Challenge.htm Follow a similar format. Pay attention to my transition: Beowulf is a man who needs attention to ensure that his renowned presence will forever be discussed throughout the annals of history. When he arrives on the Danish shore, his first self-proclamation of greatness is evident. He says, They have seen my strength for themselves, / Have watched me rise from the darkness of war, / Dripping with my enemies blood (Beowulf 151-3). He wastes little time asserting his prominence; by claiming that his reputation precedes him, he is effectively flaunting his past experiences as a defense for why he is qualified. Later in the story, when Unferth challenges these qualifications, Beowulf is quick to announce his greatness again. He questions, What man, / Anywhere under Heavens high arch, has fought / In such darkness, endured more misery, or been harder / Pressed? (Beowulf 308-11). Beowulf wastes little time showing others that he is the most qualified and most important aspect of the fight against evil. He does care how others view him; without the renown, there can be no eternal glory. Contrary to Beowulfs journey to become a well-renowned hero, in The Devil Wears Prada Andy is an unsuspecting, indifferent anti-hero who does not wish to dominate her surroundings. For example, when she claims, Why should I have to change the way I dress just to fit in? Im not going to be here forever, she is asserting her individualism as a character who does not care what other people think about her. She decides early in her endeavor that in order to perform her job, she does not need recognition. Later in the story, she begins to assimilate and dress in high-class fashion items; ultimately, however, she decides that this faade of fashion is unnecessary to maintain her integrity. This is most evident when she throws the phone into the fountain, thus severing her ties with the very system that requires people to care about others opinions. Unlike Beowulf, Andy does not need the renown as long as she has her integrity.