Comparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain

Heroes and protagonists of early English literature may be interpreted in terms of the values of their culture. Indeed, an analysis of their moral endowments as well as their demonstrated flaws (or lack thereof) may well unfold the true meaning of what these heroes represented during their respective time periods. In particular, the actions and motivations of the two protagonists Beowulf and Sir Gawain, the heroes of two of the most significant narrative poems from the Early and Late Middle Ages, suggest cultural similarities and differences between both early and late time periods. The two cultures share a cultural paradigm shift and several archetypal studies between both heroes.

The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf, known as the strongest

Beowulf swings his sword at Grendel's mother but his sword cannot penetrate the monster’s skin. Running out of options, Beowulf then resorts to using his bare hands to defeat her, which fails as she matches his movements. Lastly, Beowulf notices an enormous sword hanging on the wall nearby, he clinches the sword for dearly life and swings slicing Grendel’s mother’s neck flawlessly; a triumphant feeling as Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel’s mother. Beowulf displays an act of moral courage during his apotheosis, as he finishes his

Angered by the hostility, Sir Gawain shouts at the Green Knight but the Knight solely laughs. The Green Knight explains to Sir Gawain that he is Lord Bertilak, it was the work of Morgan LeFaye who transformed herself and the Green Knight. Regardless, Sir Gawain is spared and is proven to himself and the land of Camelot that he is a worthy and honorable