In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, what made King Arthur and Beowulf such great kings? Prestige? Wealth? Or was it something deeper, something any man may possess but few do? I think the distinguishing factor of these two kings was the overwhelming love they held for their people. King Arthur and Beowulf weren’t great because they had wealth or because they were prestigious, these things may be achieved by any ambitious man. They were good because their hearts were rooted in love for their people. This love was shown clearly by their bravery, humility, generosity, and willingness to sacrifice. Their people recognized this, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight they called King Arthur… and they hailed Beowulf as, “The people’s pride …show more content…
and love.” (pg. 103) Typically people love those who love them and despise those that hate them. So the people’s love for King Arthur and Beowulf was an indicator that they were good kings. The first quality of a king who loves his people is bravery and both Beowulf and King Arthur were excellent in this respect. Beowulf preformed several acts of bravery: slaying Grendel, killing Grendel's mother and most notably fighting the dragon. King Arthur also possessed this quality, he was the first to accept the Green Knight's challenge and the narrator of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight describes Arthur by saying, “with fearless face he stood straight and tall.”(#) Bravery is an important trait in a king because people, especially in the time of chivalric code, needed to be able to respect and revere their king. Without bravery, kings were seen as weak and unfit to rule. Another reason bravery is important is because during the time of Beowulf and King Arthur wars and battles were very important and common. Kings were supposed to be great warriors who performed acts of chivalry. It takes considerable courage to go into battle, even more to lead a battle and this was one of the king’s main responsibilities. A king gave to his people by supporting and defending them and they gave to him in turn by revering and serving him. This symbiotic relationship is what keeps a nation from succumbing to both outside attack and civil war. After Beowulf dies, his people lament that without him war is inevitable and they suspect the demise of the kingdom is near. A good king must also possess humility, King Hrothgar in Beowulf was an advocate of humility, he told Beowulf, “Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards, don't give in to pride." Hrothgar knew the dangers of pride and how hard it was to resist the allure of glory.
Without humility kings can become selfish, worrying only about gaining glory instead of the good of the people. Hrothgar demonstrated humility by accepting Beowulf’s help. Beowulf struggled with this, he loved glory and actively pursued it, and he had an innate (or inherent) desire to do everything alone. In going in fight the dragon alone and ultimately dying from it, Beowulf left his people vulnerable, without a leader who could protect them from surrounding nations. Arthur seems to do an adequate job at humility. At the end of Sir Gawain and the green knight, he wears the green sash with the rest of the knights. The sash symbolized failure, it was a testament that said, "I have flaws, I make mistakes and I’m willing to own up to them". In his willingness to admit his flaws, King Arthur showed humility and self-awareness. Without humility, however, as evidenced by Beowulf, Kings will make grave …show more content…
mistakes. Another important trait for a king to possess is generosity.
A king ought not to be greedy and take from his people needlessly, not because he fears the people’s wrath, but because his desire is for people to be pleased. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight opens with King Arthur giving a feast for his knights. The narrator says that the feast, “lasted a full fortnight and one day, with more food and drink then a fellow could dream of.”(Pg. 187) This is a good example of Arthur’s willing generosity toward his people, later he asks the Green Knight if he would like to join the feast, This shows that he is not only generous towards his people, but also toward strangers. Near the end of Beowulf, Wiglaf says recognizes this same quality in Beowulf, saying that he was, “a prince treating his thanes to the best he could find.”(Pg. 102) Beowulf went out of his way to provide abundantly for his people and with that generosity he again verified his love. No one forced Beowulf or King Arthur to give to their people, they chose to individually. By being generous kings sustain healthy and amicable relationships with their
people. The third trait a noble king must possess is a willingness to sacrifice. This is where Beowulf shines. While part of Beowulf’s motivation for fighting the dragon is glory, I think he was also deeply motivated by love for his people. King Arthur also shows his readiness to sacrifice by volunteering first for the Green Knight’s potentially fatal challenge. He knows that because he is a good king he must be the first to step forward and offer his life. King Arthur was saved from having to make that sacrifice, but Beowulf was not so fortunate and he paid the ultimate price, his life. At his grave, his people wept for him, saying, “Of all the kings upon the earth he was the man most gracious and far-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.”(Line 3183) Beowulf’s people recognized his great love, which was demonstrated by his sacrifice for them, and gave him due thanks. Through their individual willingness to sacrifice, King Arthur and Beowulf gave the ultimate proof of their love. In the end being a good king is putting your people first. This is achieved through bravery, humility, generosity, and readiness to sacrifice. King Arthur and Beowulf bound these traits together into one great love. One reason why King Arthur is considered one of the greatest kings in literature and why we still read Beowulf’s story though it is centuries old, is because these two kings embody the traits we value in leaders today. Beowulf and King Arthur are kings that any leader, ruler, or president can learn from, because they stress the importance of bravery, humility, generosity, and sacrifice which all spring from a true love of the people.
Beowulf and The 13th Warrior: Exposing true Anglo-Saxon warriors battle. When thinking about epic heroes people mostly have different type of images. Some might think of achieving small tasks is being a hero. Others might think of heroes that are powerful. Similar to what some people think today the Anglo-Saxon also beloved in heroes that are strong, famous and successful.
This essay is the comparison between Beowulf and a modern day hero. I consider any American soldier to be my modern day hero. In this essay I will explain in three paragraphs of how my modern day hero is like Beowulf. With in these three paragraphs I will go over how they are both fighting for a good cause, how they are both rewarded for what they do, and how they are both treated with much respect.
One of the main topics discussed in lesson one is the fact that heroes over time and overseas all heroes have something in common; which is true in the case of King Arthur and Beowulf. It is obvious that they are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, but what makes them an idol of their time and in their culture are poles apart. There are many things that are different about Beowulf and King Arthur, but the ones that stand out the most are what kind of hero they are and what actions they did to make them heroic. Both heroes possess qualities that others do not have, but it is what they do with those abilities that prompts someone to write a story about them and idolize them in time.
Beowulf was a great king in many ways based on the Anglo-Saxon values. One example is when Beowulf showed when he was courages. When Beowulf decided to get invoked with Grendel, a monstrous man, in a battle, it was a big deal because it was thought to be that Grendel had more courage; things turned out to be
There are numerous similitudes and contrasts between Beowulf the motion picture which was made in the year 2007, and the poem by an obscure Angelo Saxon poet. A large portion of the likenesses and contrasts are clear. The poem was changed into a motion picture and was more advanced and simpler to see then the epic poem itself. The movie happens to be more modern and gives the audience a better understanding of Beowulf and what happened during his life. It also helps the audience visualize it rather than having to picture the occurences while reading the poem.
What are individuals willing to really do to maintain their reputation? Maurice Friedman ponders this question. In Problematic Rebel, Friedman states, “The hopeful element in the Greek view is that [,] to remain in harmony with this order [,] he must pay the price of the loss of something of his humanity, something of his full possibility of personal existence” (23). It is believed that in order to have an elevated position, something of importance must be sacrificed. Beowulf, Gawain, and Arthur share similar characteristics by being noble and heroic warriors. However, as all noblemen, they are still concerned with their social standings. Each of these characters are readily willing to give up something in order to either keep their lives,
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.
When being compared to the opening funeral of King Shield’s death, Beowulf’s funeral can be further interpreted as an elegy for warrior values. To begin with, the main similarity behind both funerals was the mood. The Danes respected their king, and the poet of Beowulf depicts this idea by stating, Shield “had courage and greatness. /… as his powers waxed and his worth was proved” (lines 2 and 8). King Shield provided a sense of security to the Danish nation, which established a specific image of what a proper authority figure looked like to the people. Since Shield “was one good king”, his death left the Danes with the devastated realization there may never be that form of heroic leadership ruling their country again (11). Using similar word choice, Beowulf’s poet describes a similar connection between
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. 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.
Erika Mercado Essay 2 Modern Heroes: Dante vs Beowulf A modern hero is a good-hearted person with these attributes: bravery, strong, and contributes to saving the lives of his homelands. Beowulf demonstrates the characteristics of a modern hero: a leader, fearless, and generous. Beowulf is a young hero whose character exerts powerful strength in battles. Dante the Pilgrim does not display hero attributes in The Inferno.
As you can see, Beowulf feels strongly about the people. From this point, you can tell that Beowulf will make a good king, because of his desire to please the people. According to him, it was his main focus of the battle.
Throughout the story, Beowulf fights three battles against frightening monsters. Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, was a well known warrior with extreme strength who makes a promise to protect his people under any circumstance. In the poem, his strength is tested, but he uses it to save many people in battles against: Grendel, Grendel 's mother, and a dragon. Before, during, and after each of these battles Beowulf shows many similarities and differences in his actions.
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.
In the stories of Beowulf and A Knight's Tale, there are many different themes. One of the major themes is the religion that runs through both of them, yet both stories have a very different view of religion. In Beowulf, it seems as if God has chosen where our life will end and where it will begin, everything happens by the will of God in a fair and just way. In The Knight's Tale, we see Greek gods playing with the characters and when they "play" with them, there is no real pattern to how they choose things. Each vies is different and this affects the stories in different ways.
Acts of generosity can be materialistic items such as gold and armor, or it can be things you cannot see. Kind and boastful words are an example of such generosity, or in other words “right for the people” (l701). Hrothgar is the perfect balance of both types of generosity. He is very wealthy in gold, for he has been ruling for a long time. He is also wealthy with his words, his experience of being king has given him the wisdom he needs to pass down to others. Boasting of one’s self or someone else is a highly respected thing to do because it establishes an identity. People love to boast about themselves, so when someone else boasts about you, it is one of the highest compliments you can receive. Establishing an identity in the Anglo-Saxon’s time is something that never goes away. For example, when Hrothgar boasts of Beowulf he says, “My friend Beowulf,/ your glory is exalted throughout the world,/ over every people” (1703-1704). Meaning that not if, but when Beowulf becomes king, he will be unstoppable because everyone has heard how amazing and incredible he is. When Beowulf is visiting the Danes, in the short amount of time he has already gained the respect of everybody there. Even Unferth, who was enraged at the sight of Beowulf and all of his men, came around to respect Beowulf. Unferth even gave Beowulf his sword in the battle of Grendel’s mother. Since armor, swords, and gold were highly respected and correlated with