Comparing The Greatest Story Ever Telled And The Dream Of The Rood

Several readers are able to make a connection between their religious memories and Dream of the Rood. The narrator makes us remember our experience with the story of the crucifixion. The emphasis is on the loyalty of the cross to Christ and how beautiful it looks because it is covered in gems. Using his vision to connect to the reader, he takes us through his dream in three parts. To effectively communicate with his audience, the narrator must make us remember our experience. Dream of the Rood is similar to Christian George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) because each is telling the story about the crucifixion. The GSET also makes us remember our experience with the crucifixion by taking us through the entire story. Specifically, the film takes the most time on the scene of the crucifixion.

Dream of the Rood takes a traditional approach; “ I, was stained by sins, wounded with guilt” (13). The narrator realizes he is wretched compared to the cross and the reader should feel the same. Usually wooden, with splinters, the cross looks old and dirty. He further comments that the cross was given the honor of “worthily being the Creator’s tree” (17). Similarly, in The Greatest Story Ever Told, we are shown the cross and how old it looks, but it still has the honor of holding the savior. Dream of the Rood uses the cross to represent the community who did nothing to help Christ and we should “behold in sorrow the Savior’s tree” (25). “As we stood there, weeping” (70) shows the unity that is needed to make the film effective. The same is seen in the GSET, the crowd stands and watches Christ as he is crucified, but they do nothing to stop it. Ultimately, both works represent our need to identify with the crucifixion