Traditionally, heroes have always been men. Both Sir Gawain and Beowulf are the heroes of their respective poems. There are multiple similarities and differences between Sir Gawain and Beowulf. Similar to the warriors of today, Beowulf and Sir Gawain were fearless, intelligent, and selfless. Beowulf and Sir Gawain’s heroism is shown through their actions, speech, and their character traits. However, there are still some key differences between these heros. As heroic protagonists, Beowulf and Sir Gawain have both similarities and differences.
One of the first similarities is that both heroes travel in for their battles. Sir Gawain has to leave his place in the castle with King Arthur in Camelot in order to go meet the Green Knight. Beowulf travels
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Beowulf has a backstory that we are not told about in the poem. (Earl 295) Beowulf is haunted by incest in his family (Earl 295). This can contribute to Beowulf feeling as if he needs to redeem himself and prove himself to others. It is possible that the poet of Beowulf was not aware of the incest that was written into Beowulf’s past (Earl 296). It is theorized that the knowledge of incest in his dark past is what fuels Beowulf’s demeanor, serving as something to keep him humble (Earl 297). It is possible that this element of Beowulf’s past is what motivated and sculpted him to be the great hero that he turned out to be. This contributes to the difference in the motivations of Sir Gawain and …show more content…
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
Although arguably different at first glance, the conflict in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight would be the strong internal conflict that the protagonists experience throughout the entirety of each narrative. Beowulf simply disregards all advice presented to him in hopes of swaying his egotistical nature, which in turn results in his demise. Sir Gawain, on the other hand, dishonors the code of chivalry and Camelot by showcasing the true coward that lay beneath his facade. Synonymous in general, the internal conflicts the protagonists experience result in divergent resolutions and emotions for each
...stops him from sleeping with Bertilak’s wife, only until his finds a way to avoid death does he goes against them. What Gawain learns from the green knight’s challenge is that instinctively he is just a human who is concerned with his own life over anything else. Chivalry does provide a valuable set of rules and ideals toward which one to strive for, but a person must remain aware of their own mortality and weaknesses. Sir Gawain’s flinching at the green knight’s swinging ax, his time in the woods using animal nature requiring him to seek shelter to survive and his finally accepting the wife’s gift of the girdle teaches him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error.
Heroes come in many forms. The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.
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.
Both of these poems tell about two different stories and many different people in those stories, but that does not make the characters any different. Beowulf and Sir Gawain proved their courage by either clashing with a monster or choosing a deadly game. They both also showed their desire to help and save the people they care about by battling the supernatural. Despite the different journeys that Beowulf and Sir Gawain went on and the people they meet both characters share courage, the desire to save the people they love, and conquering the supernatural which are the qualities that make them an epic hero.
Although Gawain and Beowulf share many similarities, their characters are almost complete opposites. Both aim for some sort of fame, one more than the other; differing in the way they attempt to achieve this success. Gawain remains true and looks to humility to guide him, whereas Beowulf is very prideful and selfish, loving nothing more than boasting about his virtues. Regardless, both go through tremendous changes throughout their quests, dealing with repercussions, and many challenging obstacles along the way.
He could have figured out a way to prepare for what was to come, rather he took the path of deception when he decided not to be honest with his host, who as far as he knew was genuinely being a friend to him. In keeping the girdle to save himself from what he thought was certain death, Sir Gawain decided to deceive his host and not keep to the deal they had made. I believe that after Sir Gawain deceived his host, even if he felt a twinge of guilt, that … made it easier to deceive the Green Knight. He entered the Green Knight’s chapel, prepared to take his blow knowing that he was not forthcoming about having protection against said blow. While Sir Gawain kept his word and showed up to face the Green Knight, the choices he made along the way presented him in a less than honorable light. Although he told the truth to the Green Knight and then again to his court, accepting responsibility for his shortcomings, this did not absolve him of wrong doing nor does it erase the stain of deception that he would now wear for the rest of his days. So, with that, long live Sir
Though Sir Gawain is brave, Beowulf seems more naturally heroic. He goes to the land of the Danes of his own volition. His king does not order him to go. He tells his king that he wishes to go help the Danes defeat Grendel, because he believes he can and should. His people support him because they know what a great warrior and leader he is. He also wants to help King Hrothgar because his father was in debt to Hrothgar and he wants to pay that debt. He wants to honor his father and his father’s word. Beowulf holds himself to a code of honor when he does not have to do so. He risks his life for a country he is not a part of.
Both characters abided by a code of honor that they were willing to protect with their lives. Today, that trait is at the very least, rare, if not altogether absent from our increasingly materialistic and self-centered society. Both Gawain and Beowulf saw themselves as means by which the end of achieving glory for their society could be achieved. They didn't leech on to society and drain precious resources, as do many of today's corrupt leaders. On the contrary, they gave back to their people and lived up to the ancient notion of the "good citizen" as first advanced by Plato.
From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem that this quality is unimportant to Sir Gawain's character, however, it is his loyalty that serves as the catalyst for the entire story. When the Green Knight enters Arthur’s court to challenge anyone to risk their lives, the unloyal knights remain silent, forcing Arthur to volunteer himself. However, Sir Gawain’s loyalty surpasses that of the court, and he volunteers himself for the sake of his King. The quote, “A year turns full turn, and yields never a like; the form of its finish foretold full seldom” (2. 22) shows how he was in fear and anticipation for the returned strike, and the quote “I am the weakest I know, and the wit feeblest” (1. 16), shows his lack of self-confidence. Yet despite all of that anxiety and self-doubt, he continued on with his mission and did not allow them to get in the way of his goal. This loyalty extends to the very end, where he “leant down his neck, and bowed” to receive the Green Knight’s blade without
A quote from the great Robert Louis Stevenson says, “All human beings are commingled out of good and evil.” While many people in the world today would definitely agree with this, it is unclear how people during the Anglo-Saxon era and Middle Ages would think about this. Since we obviously cannot ask a living person from these time periods what they think about this, we can analyze their literature to discover what the common man thought so many years ago. The classic literature I have personally analyzed on this topic are as follows: Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Canterbury Tales.
This shows that Gawain is loyal to his king and he would give his life in order to save Arthur’s. Later in the story of the Green Knight when it comes time for Gawain to pay the prices of playing the game he
When he meets the Green Knight in the Green Chapel, the Green Knight only distributes a small nick in Gawain 's neck with his axe. He does this because Gawain completes all of the challenges that were faced before him with honor and honesty, except when he accepted the girdle from the wife of the castle. Sir Gawain is disappointed in himself, even though to the Green Knight, Gawain passed all of the tests with flying colors. Gawain even goes as far as to say "Now I am false and unworthy, and have always dreaded treachery and deceit: may misfortune and grief befall both!" (2384-2384). Gawain has no pride in anything he has done throughout the tests from the Green Knight. The Green Knight makes him take the girdle back to Camelot as a symbol of how well he did, even though Gawain does not see it as that. He heads back to Camelot with only a nick in his neck and the green girdle. Everyone of the castle sees the nick in his neck and the girdle and congratulates him. They all respect him for what he has done. However, Gawain wants no praise whatsoever from his peers. He is extremely humble about the situation and does not boast at all because to him the scar on his neck and the girdle represent his failure in completing all of the tasks perfectly. The people of Camelot are so proud of Gawain and all start wearing green girdles in honor of Gawain 's brave act. Gawain stays humble throughout all of
The three heroes discussed here, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur, are heroes for different reasons. Beowulf, our earliest hero, is brave but his motivation is different than then other two. To Sir Gawain personal honor and valor is what is important. King Arthur, Sir Gawain's uncle, is naturally the quintessential king of the medieval period. Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys.
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...