Throughout this course, mankind’s search for truth has been the theme. With this search for truth, also comes the chance to see many flaws in multiple characters. With this abundance of flaws, comes the chance to fall down, then rise to redemption. There are also many chances for characters to only be flawed, and never become good. Either way, the character flaws are what make the stories interesting and captivating. Character flaws are evident in many of the texts studied this semester. Some of the stories this class has studied that are stories of flawed characters experiencing redemption, and flawed characters setting drama include Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Scarlet Letter.
In the tale of Beowulf, there are several
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flawed characters, but the main character is the one with the most flaws, and he is often depicted as a ‘tragic hero’.
This character is Beowulf himself. One of Beowulf’s Flaws is his fear of death. In lines 1758-1768 says “O flower of warriors, beware of that trap, choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. For a brief while your strength is in bloom but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow illness or the sword to lay you low, or a sudden fire or surge of water or jabbing blade or javelin from the air or repellent age. Your piercing eye will dim and darken; and death will arrive dear warrior, to sweep you away”(Puchner 1275). This quote from Beowulf shows the detailed description of how Beowulf could die, and that he will eventually have to face death. The reason this quote is here, is to give the reader a glimpse as to how Beowulf views death. The quote could have said something simple, or just something like ‘ you’re gonna die sometime’ but the detail is amplified so the reader can imagine how Beowulf himself views death. Beowulf’s main character flaw is his ego. Throughout the story, Beowulf constantly acts like he is the best guy in town, like he is better than everyone else in every way. In some cases, …show more content…
Beowulf is even depicted as a Christlike figure when he takes the twelve men (parallel to the twelve disciples in the Bible) to fight the dragon, and even when he dies fighting the dragon (parallel to Christ dying to save his people from eternal suffering). Beowulf definitely seems to know how people look at him, he knows they view him as a divine individual, and he only fuels the fire, which ultimately ends up leading to his demise. Since Beowulf is so full of himself, he is constantly accepting challenging tasks to fight monsters and keep the people safe. What is the real reason Beowulf takes on these challenges? It’s because he knows if he defeats the monsters, he will be praised and loved by everyone. He will be the hero and be able to basque in the fame and glory all he wants, but if he dies during these challenges, Beowulf will be viewed as a martyr by the people, in which he will forever be praised and talked about how he was a great hero who died for the greater good. Although Beowulf might have had a purer motive, his main drive was his lust for fame and glory, which end up leading to both his death, and his redemption. How does Beowulf's flaw end up killing him? A dragon was rampaging town and killing his people, so Beowulf, being the egocentric type of guy he is, decides he is going to go and kill the dragon, and restore peace. Beowulf takes twelve men with him to help fight type dragon, eleven of these men get scared and abandon Beowulf. This also opens up a chance of redemption for a second character. The guy who stays to help Beowulf is Wiglaf. Wiglaf had the chance to run away and abandon Beowulf like the other eleven men did, but he stayed, and he’s lucky he did. Beowulf and Wiglaf team up and kill the dragon, but the dragon bit Beowulf and he died from the poison. Right before Beowulf dies, he tells Wiglaf that he is to be the heir his throne and tells him to bury his body with the dragons horde of treasure, which will create a monument to scare off potential enemies. Wiglaf’s redemption is his chance to rule the people and keep them in peace, thus fulfilling Beowulf’s final wish. Beowulf’s redemption is his final effort to save his people, and his final wish for a protection monument. Another character in Beowulf who has many flaws, but a very large impact on the story is Grendel. Grendel seems, on the surface, to be a monster with no feelings or thoughts at all. This is how Grendel is set up to be depicted in the story: “Grendel was the name of this grim demon, haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens; he had dwelt a time of misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan, whom the creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts for the killing of Able”(Puchner 1237). But if his behavior and the behavior of his mother are examined closely, it can be observed that maybe Grendel’s is just mis, and cast out because is different. Grendel is “a monstrous creature defeated by Beowulf in the Old English poem Beowulf . Descended from the biblical Cain, Grendel is an outcast, doomed to wander the face of the earth. He revenges himself upon humans by terrorizing and occasionally devouring the warriors of the Danish king Hrothgar” (Britannica 2016). This quote is important because it can make the reader relate Grendel to a minority or an outcast. Grendel is judged and treated wrong because of his ancestor, Cain, so he is stuck on the low level of the social hierarchy. Although one has to go to outside sources and do more research on Grendel as a character, it doesn’t change the fact that he is just a misunderstood outcast that everyone is afraid of because he’s different. How would the story of Beowulf change if everyone had tried to understand Grendel and his problems instead of amplifying his flaws and calling him a monster? More people could have lived and they could have had someone as powerful as Grendel on their side to help them fight enemies. Grendel himself is a story of how people can create flaws in someone and what they create can be their own undoing. Aside from the character flaws in Beowulf, there are also character flaws with the main character of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
In this story, there are many questions that can be asked, such as why did Sir Gawain wait so long too embark on his journey? Why didn’t Sir Gawain just go ahead and give the green girdle to Sir Bertilak? Why didn’t King Arthur insist on being the one to accept the Green Knights challenge? Why did the whole ordeal with the Green Knight happen in the first place? All of these questions can be answered by explaining a few characters flaws. The first two questions can be answered by explaining Sir Gawains character flaw. Sir Gawain is brave on the outside but fearful on the inside. The reason that Sir Gawain waits to leave until the day of all saints is because he’s scared. He knows that he has to go find the Green Knight or people will call him a coward, but he also knows that (or he thinks he knows) that he has to live up to his end of the deal which to him, is getting his head cut off by the Green Knight. This is just the first example of Sir Gawains character flaw causing him problems. The next question can also be answered using Sir Gawains character flaw. When Sir Gawain got to the fortress of Sir Bertilak, they made the deal to exchange what they got at the end of the day. On the third day, when Sir Bertilaks wife gives Gawain the green girdle, Gawain doesn’t exchange it with Bertilak. The reason for this is because Bertilaks wife told
Gawain that the green girdle would make him impossible to kill in battle. When Gawain heard this, he knew he
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities of a chivalrous knight. He demonstrates that by showing generosity, courtesy, and loyalty during his travels. A mysterious knight shows up at the king’s castle and calls himself the Green Knight. The Green Knight then challenges one to play a game which he challenges the king to strike him with his axe if he will take a return hit in a year and a day. Sir Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge for his uncle King Arthur when nobody else in the castle would. He took the King’s role in the game to protect him from the Green Knight. He must learn to accept his responsibility as a knight, in accepting his fate.He demonstrates goodness at the hand of the Green Knight. He shows courage by accepting what is to come upon him during his voyage. His journey to find the Green Knight is filled with temptations.In the conversation with him and the “Lady”, Sir Gawain showed a Chivalrous code by keeping his loyalty to the king by not kissing his wife. The lady states “if I should exchange at my cho...
He explains that Beowulf’s greatest weakness is that he is a man and men are not immortal. The author, according to Tolkien, is “concerned primarily with man on earth… each man and all men, and all their works shall die” (Tolkien). Therefore, all humans must be prepared to meet their end and accept their. I other words, individuals must learn how to die is the lesson that emerges from Beowulf. The reader learns that “defeat is the theme. Triumph over the foes of man’s precarious fortress is over, and we approach slowly and reluctantly the inevitable victory of death” (Tolkien). Even though Beowulf defeats the monsters he encounters and is victorious, he still has to die and nothing can change the fact because it is inevitable. There is nothing any man can do to change that
This last encounter was destined to define his lasting legacy. He lived as a warrior; it was only natural that he should die as one as well, he hopes to go down in a fiery blaze of glory, pun intended. At this point in time, Beowulf is a seventy-year-old king, he knows he is mortal and isn’t going to live forever. Nevertheless, even as an old man, it was his duty to protect and defend his subjects until the death. Towards the end Beowulf’s death looms closer and it seems like he foreshadows that he is prepared to meet his maker. “When I meet the cave guard: what occurs on the wall, between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides. I am resolved. I scorn further words against this sky-borne foe” (Heaney 2525-2528). Beowulf’s maturity has blossomed to its utmost peak, ironically right before he is laid to rest in the valley of death that is Beowulf’s Barrow. His endeavors throughout this long journey have brought him wisdom and enlightenment. Since the beginning, he has rapidly progressed over time, especially since evolving from his role as a warrior to a king. Initially, Beowulf was insatiable with pleasure seeking activities, but then he
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain humbly approaches the King and courageously says, “For I find it not fit… when such a boon is begged… though you be tempted… to take in on yourself while so bold men about upon benches sit” (122-125) “And for that this folly befits a king, and ‘tis I that have asked it, it ought to be mine” (132-133). He, the weakest Knight, sees the injustice of someone challenging the King and instead of acting passively he willingly sacrifices himself for the King’s sake, which shows his loyalty, courage and integrity. However, Sir Gawain becomes a hypocrite even though the Green Knight says, “Friend mine, it seems your word holds good” (333-334) because the Green Knight’s wife “made trial of a man most faultless by far” (452) and he did not remain loyal and honest. The opportunity of remaining secure and safe presents itself and selfishly he chooses this course of action; consequently, he “lacked… a little in loyalty there” (456). In the end, the Green Knight reprimands him for his dishonesty and lack of integrity and in return Sir Gawain, shamefully responds “I confess, knight, in this place, most dire is my misdeed; let me gain back your good grace…” (Line 474-476) so even though he was not noble and loyal throughout the entire course he remains sincere in his apology. His loyalty to the King in the
Yet, Gawain did err in accepting the girdle; that much cannot be denied. We, the reader, can forgive him since he repents fully, even going so far as to impose penance (of wearing the girdle eternally as a mark of his fall) on himself. It takes a mild rebuke by the Green Knight to crack Gawain’s façade of confident valor. His conscience compels him to break down when confronted by his host as to his indiscretion. However, this happened only when the host had revealed himself to be the same as the Green Knight. We realize that Gawain had previously perceived in Sir Bertilak an equal in knighthood; thus his ease in deceiving him in the exchange of winnings game. When Gawain realizes he was the subject of a test, he sees Bertilak/Green Knight in a different light. The Green Knight now becomes Gawain’s confessor and in doing so assumes a fatherly role.
Do people ever talk about superheroes, and monsters? Especially people into comic books and children. Every child, even adults, have a superhero they look up to, or a role model they want to grow up to be like. Superheroes are everywhere from movies to books. Children even sit in their room playing with toy superheroes, hoping one day they can be just like them. Even hundreds of thousands of years ago there were superheroes! A long time ago in the Anglo-Saxon Period there was a brave and loyal hero! His name was Beowulf, and everyone looked up to him. This hero definitely brought peace to many people, and if it wasn’t for the mighty hero Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxons would have been terrorized forever. Therefore, the times were hard before Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon warriors always stood for three values, and the time was changed without monsters.
Beowulf is a great tale but as a person, he isn’t that all that people make him out to be. In his older years his need for attention and glory ended up with the death of him. He fought the dragon alone and in return, ended up killing the dragon, but also sacrificed himself. Even as he died he asked for one thing, his people to build him a memorial near the sea so everyone could see the person that he was. His need for attention, lack of planning, and need for glory caused him to be just a prideful man, not a
Sir Gawain was heroic in seeking out the Green Knight to finish the challenge that was brought to King Arthur’s men. “Said Gawain, ‘Strike once more; /I shall neither flinch nor flee; /But if my head falls to the floor /There is no mending me!’” (lns. 2280-2283) There was no physical power that forced Sir Gawain to keep true to his word. Gawain sought out the Green Knight, just as he had promised, and was now about to receive the blow that would send him to his death. This quote shows that Sir Gawain was ready to be dealt his fate, and that he knew there was no way for him to survive as the Green Knight had done earlier in the poem. This shows a very human side to Sir Gawain as he appears somewhat afraid of death, but ready to face it nonetheless. It is this willingness and readiness to accept death at the hand of the Green Knight that makes Sir Gawain a...
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur gets ready to commit in the battle of the Green Knight until Sir Gawain stepped up and insisted that he be the one to fight. Sir Gawain said to King Arthur, “I beseech you, Sire, / Let this game be mine” (Gawain Poet 124-25). By Sir Gawain requesting to King Arthur that he must step before the Green Knight instead of the King, Gawain showed many acts of bravery and loyalty to his people, which gave him the characteristics of showing honor and being an Anglo-Saxon Hero. Sir Gawain stepped up to this incredible mission because he knew he was the weakest of the knights, and believed that no one would miss him, but instead when Gawain went up for battle the Green Knight refused to strike. The Green Knight has said, “It was I who sent her to test you. I’m convinced / You’re the finest man that ever walked this earth” (Gawain Poet 354-55). The Green Knight had his wife give Gawain the green sash in order to test him, the Green Knight knew Gawain had the courage to compete against him but he just wanted the knights to realize it. Sir Gawain shows honor in this literary work, because even when he wanted to doubt himself and give up he never did, he kept fighting and eventually made it to the Green Castle even though he knew he might not make it out alive. He insisted to follow
A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and bravery, as well as their noble accomplishments. They are respected by almost everyone, due to their kindness and charitable mindset, that drives them to fight for the good of others. Beowulf is the perfect representation of a hero, based on multiple characteristics that he displays throughout the novel. Along with his characteristics, Beowulf also takes on many “hero like” challenges and tasks. In the novel, Beowulf is praised and admired throughout the kingdom for his bravery, humility, and selflessness.
Sir Gawain's inner values and character are tested to the fullest and are clearly defined in the text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The unknown author describes Gawain and the other knights as "Many good knights" (Norton 159), and he is referred to as one of the "most noble knights" (Norton 159) in King Arthur's land. This claim by the author is solidified by a challenge presented by the evil Green Knight, who enters the court of King Arthur and asks him to partake in a Christmas game. Sir Gawain, after hearing this challenge, asks the king if he may take his place. This represents that Gawain is very loyal to his king. Sir Gawain is also an honest knight in the text because in a year's time he ventures out in search of the Green Knight to endure a blow with the ax as the rules of the game were stated. He very easily could have not have carried out his end of the bargain by not traveling to the Green Chapel to meet the evil being, but Gawain is an honest knight who is true to his word.
Beowulf was a highly skilled and great fighter, but because of his over-confidence in himself the fire-breathing dragon kills him. Beowulf’s excessive pride is evident from the very beginning of the epic. He is almost always boasting about himself to one person or the other. In the first part of the epic, when Beowulf first travels to Hrothgar’s kingdom to rid him of Grendel, he talks about the mighty deeds he has done in his life. “Hail, Hrothgar, health ever keep you! I am Hyglelac’s thane and kinsman; mighty deeds I have done in my youth…they saw themselves how I came from combat bloodied by enemies where I crushed down five, killed a tribe of giants, and on the waves at night slew water-beasts; no easy task, but I dove out trouble from Geatland-they asked for it, the enemies I killed.”(Beowulf p73) One can easily picture him standing proud and tall in front of a multitude of fellow warriors, proclaiming all the deeds he has accomplished in his lifetime.
Beowulf is a very brave hero, he has fought and killed many creatures before, but this battle was different. He knew this battle was of great importance to everyone, and that made him that much more nervous. This creature was fierce and had been tormenting their village for as long as they could remember, so her death would be a huge victory for Beowulf and it would be an even bigger relief for the villagers. All of the people in the village were cheering for Beowulf as he walked away headed off to the greatest battle of his life.
He is worried and scared for his life. In the end he only chooses to accepts the challenge in order to protect King Arthur’s life and honor. He is aware that it is his duty to protect King Arthur, but only volunteers to do so at the last possible second. This shows that even though he is a hero, courage is not his greatest strength (Woods 229). Sir Gawain also breaks his oath to the Bertilak while he is a guest in his castle. He broke their arrangement to trade whatever they had earned during the day when he decides to keep the girdle that Bertilak’s wife gives him(Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Sir Gawain does this because he believes it will protect him during his meeting with the Green Knight(Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Sir Gawain also uses the girdle in an attempt to cheat in his battle with the Green Knight. He does not plan to take a fair honest blow from the Green Knight like the Green Knight took from him (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). He wanted to use the girdle to cheat by using it’s magical power to save his life. It is likely that Sir Gawain believed that he probably would not ever have to take the blow from the Green Knight because he would kill the Green Knight with his initial blow. When he realized he would have to finish the challenge, he attempted to use the magical girdle to beat the Green Knight. Sir Gawain is said to be experienced in fighting, but does not take as much pride in
As it say`s “Nobody`s Perfect”. Everybody makes a mistakes; everybody tell lies; everybody has its weaknesses; BUT everybody has the right to correct all these mistakes and lies and conquer their weaknesses.