Sara Zunker
Ms. Ruth Ann Gambino
English 2322-048
September 24, 2015
Medieval Literary Marvels
While both works of literature take place in the medieval time period, the similarities between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf fail to end there. Upon analyzing each of these epic poems, a connection can be quickly drawn between the main characters from each tale. The story being titled after him, Beowulf is portrayed as the classic save the day hero. Such character type is also found in Sir Gawain of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. When taking a deeper analytical look at each of the protagonists’ actions and personalities, one can come to the conclusion that each main character is endowed with similar psychological and intellectual prowess.
Beowulf is offered to the reader as that of an ultimate cliché superman. Through the epic poem, the reader is allowed and able to follow and learn the details of some of his greatest standout moments. He even lends himself to engage in some of the true to form heroic activities of journeys, challenges, and showing the proof of his own worth. Even from the time
…show more content…
that Beowulf is very young, he exhibits many characteristic elements that prove his worthiness of such a prestigious reputation. Beowulf acquires the trust, love, and admiration of not only the people of his kingdom, but those of other kingdoms as well. He does this through the utilization of his greatest aspects: bravery, courage, and chivalry. Beowulf is up for a challenge one hundred percent of the time. Never one to be found backing out of a match, Beowulf will absolutely go to any length to preserve his status, and courageously defend those in need without giving it a second thought. This is well depicted towards the closing of the epic when Beowulf dauntlessly takes on the deadly dragon that has been relentlessly threatening his kingdom. Although he knows he is far too old to come out of the battle in decent shape, Beowulf selflessly (and once again courageously), places his life on the line for the betterment of others’ lives. Much like Beowulf, Sir Gawain (from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) is absolutely an idealistic protagonist.
Due to the fact that Gawain is a knight under the rule of the prestigious King Arthur, chivalry is to be expected, and Sir Gawain delivers. He proves that he has the same gallant and valiant characteristics as Beowulf in the course of his interaction with Lord Bertilak and his wife. Upon being offered sexual favors by Lord Bertilak’s wife (Such favors being a test of sorts put on by the Lord despite being unbeknownst to Gawain at the time.), Sir Gawain almost never fails to decline the special treatment out of pure honor, faithfulness, morality, and scrupulousness. However, when he does forego his knightly duties and accepts the wife’s garter, he utilizes the same courage as Beowulf possessed and readily faced the fire with an admirable
fearlessness. In both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the main characters each are faced with daunting challenges that equally challenge their morality and physicality. Being that each of these leading roles are connected through their mutual characterizations of bravery, courage, intelligence, and chivalry, such challenges fail to even come close to phasing Sir Gawain and Beowulf. Throughout all of these similarities, there is at least one increasingly ironic situation that these two epic poems reveal. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s chivalry and honesty is what ultimately saves his life from the Green Knight. However, in Beowulf, Beowulf’s chivalrous and brave ways end up costing him his life. Works Cited Heaney, Seamus, trans. Beowulf. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015. . Neilson, W. A., trans. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2015. . Smith, Nicole. "Literary Character Comparison of Gawain and Beowulf." ARTICLEMYRIAD. N.p., 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
Beowulf is an epic poem telling the story of Beowulf, a legendary Geatish hero who later becomes king in the aforementioned epic poem. While the story in and of itself is quite interesting, for the purpose of this paper it is important to look at the character more so then his deeds, or rather why he did what he did.
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 Beowulf, the essence left behind by a true hero is extremely important. In epics such as this one, leaders tend to have the determination and boldness of a hero. On the other hand, the main character, Beowulf, does not display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem.
In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist is portrayed as a heroic figure who strives to spread his name and glory out across the land in order to be remembered. Although his acts may not entirely be for the right reasons, Beowulf does express his heroic qualities of bravery, arrogance, and brute force.
When Gawain shows up at the Green Knight’s chapel, his mere presence provides comfort to his host, who greets him: “Sir so sweet, you honour the trysts you owe.” Perhaps the green gallant had been expecting Gawain, as representative of the crumbling House of Arthur, to be derelict in his duties. Gawain lives up to his good name. Similarly, he resisted the unbearable temptations of Lady Bertilak on numerous occasions, providing a mere kiss, in accordance with the code of chivalry.
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.
During the Middle Ages, both “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” were epic stories that were chanted aloud to the public. Each story told about epic heroes who went on a long journey to face or conqueror someone or something. “Beowulf” is a poem about a young man, Beowulf, who slays a monster and his mother with his bare hands to protect the people he loves. As the years go by Beowulf becomes king and a dragon begins to stir. In response to this, Beowulf fights the dragon with a sword and one loyal companion. Beowulf’s life comes to end, but so does the dragons. From this epic poem you can see that good does triumph over evil, but sometimes it comes at a cost. Along with “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” was another popular poem. This poem was about a squire, Sir Gawain, who chooses to take on a game proposed by the Green Knight instead of his uncle, King Arthur. He took on the game because he believed King Arthur’s life was more valuable than his own and that King Arthur should not risk his own life. As a result, Sir Gawain became a knight because of his loyalty and bravery. Both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s and Beowulf’s characters share the same quality of courage, the desire to protect people and the involvement of supernatural beings.
Initially, Gawain’s strongest trait is humility, Beowulf’s is pride. In the beginning of Gawain and the Green Knight, a mysterious warrior enters King Arthur’s court to extend a challenge. Although he knows others in the court would handle the challenge better than him, out of respect, when King Arthur attempts to accept the challenge Gawain comes forth and suggests he takes his place. Gawain presents himself as “the weakest of them, I know, and the dullest-minded/ so my death would be least loss, if truth should be told/ only because you are my uncle am I to be praised/ no virtue I know in myself but your blood” (Broadview Analogy 269). Instead of bragging about his bravery, Gawain acts modestly and states that his death would be of little loss during this challenge. He is not self-absorbed and gives off the impression that the only reason he is a knight is because of his relation with King Arthur. By stating this, he gives off the impression that his self confidence is quite weak; this is astonishing for a character of this era. Although King Arthur has at least one of his knights to be proud of, it seems as though
Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight. The Green Knight takes a blow from an ax at the hand of Sir Gawain, and in one year and one day, the Green Knight is to reciprocate the action to Sir Gawain. While Sir Gawain was heroic in his deed, Beowulf shows a certain selflessness in his bouts makes him a better hero than Sir Gawain.
Beowulf portrays the life a warrior turned king who demonstrates the qualities that not only the ideal king should have, but also the ideal warrior should exhibit. This allows the reader to notice how kings in the past were, and the power they possessed over the people of the area.
A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect.
The epic poem Beowulf centers around the hero. From the character of Beowulf, the reader can see the importance of community, orality, and heroism. Beowulf, as a result, is an icon of his ancient Germanic heritage. He is mimetic of the world around him. In addition, he reflects the past?s tradition of heroes; he follows in Shield and Sigemund?s footsteps, mirroring their characteristics and actions. Thus, when Beowulf passes on, both the ancient world and the new world collapse.
Beowulf, written between the 8th and 10th centuries, is an epic poem set in southern Sweden. The poem illustrates the Anglo-Saxon’s strong belief in the heroic code. The loyalty between the warrior and his king bound the culture together. The warrior was the ultimate hero who represented strength and courage. Beowulf, the hero in the poem, illustrates the Germanic principles of the heroic code. Through the battles and character interactions, Beowulf converges loyalty, strength, courage and forgiveness into the hero archetype.
During the semester, the class read a unit about heroes. “Beowulf” is an epic poem about a hero. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a medieval romance poem about a hero as well. The two poems show comparison between characters who are arrogant and loyal.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a fascinating poem full of bravery, fellowship, and humor. Set in medieval England after the attack on Troy the story opens to a scene of merrymaking and feasting. It was New Year’s Eve in Camelot, and Sir Gawain sat among the knights, and there is no denying he is one of the bravest there. His bravery is continually proved throughout his adventures. One of the major themes of this story is the passage to maturity of the hero, Sir Gawain.