Jeffrey Hinkle
Professor Warden
English 210
4 May 2018
Beowulf and Sir Gawain
Sir Gawain and Beowulf are both defined as heroes within medieval literature but have entirely different descriptions and traits that make them a hero. Sir Gawain is largely described as being a hero because he is humble, persistent, brave, and loyal. In fact, his main quest takes place after accepting a challenge from the Green Knight in place of King Arthur, which shows his bravery and loyalty right away. On the other hand, Beowulf is a more classic iteration of what many people would imagine a hero being with traits such as honor, strength, courage, and power. His main quest has him setting out to destroy evil monsters to protect his people and fellow tribes from
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monsters like Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon. Throughout both tales, these heroes have one thing in common: they must face a task/quest that seems insurmountable for even the strongest or wisest of heroes. However, both heroes face very different types of enemies and objectives they must overcome while also doing so in very different ways that not only relate to their story but also the poet’s culture. To begin, Sir Gawain starts his quest when the Green Knight barges into King Arthur’s court and challenges any knight to step forward and take on his deadly game to try and strike him down. In a sort of heroic fashion, Sir Gawain shows his bravery and loyalty by stepping in for King Arthur to take on the Green Knight’s challenge. In the medieval era, a very important part of the culture was hierarchy so stepping in to protect his king shows that Sir Gawain is a hero because no other knight in the room would risk their life for their king while he quickly jumped to the challenge. Likewise, Sir Gawain is very humble, which can be seen when he says, “I am weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit;/ loss of my life would be least lamented./ Were I not your nephew my life would mean nothing;/ to be born of your blood is my body’s only claim” (Gawain Poet, pp. 193). Although Sir Gawain thinks very little of himself, he is actually the most heroic of all the knights as he is the only knight willing to risk his life for his king. In addition, later on in the story Sir Gawain is given multiple chances to run away and avoid the Green Knight but does not because of his bravery and loyalty, and although he does not tell Lord Bertilak about the magical girdle, he still ends up being recognized as a hero in the Green Knight’s eyes because he stuck to his quest and did not falter even when the odds were not in his favor. Now, Beowulf’s quest goes a little differently as his quest is more about self-interest rather than for loyalty to a king he serves. Indeed, Beowulf sets sail across the sea to kill a monster that has plagued King Rothgar and the Danes, but it seems that he does so for glory more than anything else. The beginning of Beowulf’s quest and the part before fighting Grendel sticks out because he makes it sound as though killing monsters is his destiny, such as when he says, “I had a fixed purpose when I put to sea./ As I sat in the boat with my band of men,/ I meant to perform to the uttermost/ what your people wanted or perish in the attempt,/ in the fiend's clutches. And I shall fulfil that purpose,/ prove myself with a proud deed/ or meet my death here in the mead-hall” (Beowulf Poet, pp. 54). In this statement, Beowulf makes himself sound very courageous, honorable, and strong because he sounds fearless in his intentions to kill a monster that no other man can kill. Of course, Beowulf goes on to kill Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and eventually the dragon when he is older, which shows a very different view of a hero then what is portrayed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as he is strong and powerful enough to successfully take down any foe that stands in his way while Sir Gawain struggles more so with mental challenges as he tries to keep his end of the bargain with the Green Knight. Physical descriptions of the characters are also portrayed very differently as Beowulf is shown to be the most physically dominant character within his story, whereas Sir Gawain cannot hold a candle to the Lord Bertilak or the Green Knight.
Interestingly, Sir Gawain’s physical description focuses more on his attire rather than his physique, such as with the following description, “He tries on his tunic of extravagant silk,/ then the neatly cut cloak, closed at the neck,/ its lining finished with a layer of white fur./ then they settled his feet into steel shoes/ and clad his calves, clamped them with greaves,/ then hinged and highly polished plates/ were knotted with gold thread to the knight’s knees” (Gawain Poet, pp.197). On the other hand, Beowulf’s attire is only talked about shortly, but he is also described as being a brawny and stout character that physically fits the part of a hero. All in all, both character descriptions are important because they relate to the time periods in which they were most likely created with the Beowulf Poet focusing on very physical traits to describe the hero, which is indicative of the late 10th century, and the Gawain Poet focuses on attire to describe clothes that suit a hero, which is representative of the Arthurian romance period from the 12th …show more content…
century. Overall, Beowulf’s heroic quest is influenced by a physical quest that sees him take on creatures that seem unkillable.
In fact, physical quests seem to be a part of Beowulf’s entire life as he even dies on one final heroic quest that sees him take on the hardest task of all, killing a dragon. However, Beowulf never faulters in his story and shows heroism up until his final breathes by showing his loyalty and courage to protect his kinship until his final breath. On the other hand, Sir Gawain’s quest is much shorter, only lasting a year, and has him dealing with emotional and mental tasks that many men would waver against. Although Sir Gawain’s quest is nowhere near as physical as Beowulf’s, it may be even more impressive because he sets out on an adventure knowing he is probably going to die in the end. With all things considered, these heroes show two different forms of heroism via very different quests that stem from the time periods each story was written and they continue to influence many heroic stories that are portrayed in today’s society while also showing that heroes can be depicted in more than one
way. Works Cited Greenblatt, Stephen, editor. “Beowulf.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Ninth ed., vol. 1, Norton, 1974, pp. 41–108. Greenblatt, Stephen, editor. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Ninth ed., vol. 1, Norton, 1974, pp. 186–238.
In Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf is shown as a hero with extrodinary strength. This is not what makes him a hero. By definition, a hero is a man of exceptional quality. However this term does not do Beowulf justice. His self-imposed purpose in life is to help others, and eventually sacrifices his own life in doing so. Beowulf’s battle with the dragon serves as a critique of the notion that Beowulf is a hero. The Dragon section displays many of Beowulf’s heoric characteristics. Beowulf establishes himself as a hero by fighting the dragon, exemplifing strength and courage when fighting the dragon, and sacrificing himself so that others can live.
...e the quarrels, the hatreds, the feuds,/ That will bring us battles, force us into war/ With the Swedes, as soon as they’ve learned how our lord/ Is dead” (Beowulf 2999-3002). That quote shows that Beowulf lived in a war-torn country and therefore his strength and ability to protect his people made him a revered hero. Sir Gawain, on the other hand, lived in a time when inner qualities were valued. The valuing of inner qualities along with Sir Gawain’s exceptional traits made him a hero. That being said, although Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ in some aspects, they both fit the hero archetype of being better than the ordinary man, proving oneself many times, and having a tragic flaw.
In my opinion Beowulf is can be considered a hero. Beowulf can be considered a hero because of the characteristics he displays that resemble heroes. He displays all of the characteristics that heroes have. Throughout the story Beowulf stays true to himself and is morals showing that he is a hero. Beowulf is a hero due to his courage, loyalty, and justice.
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.
Even though Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf,and Macbeth happened in three different time periods and share different cultural standards, they all share the common factor of being called heroes.The time periods of these specific stories are the Anglo-Saxon, Renaissance, and the Medieval times.Classifying a hero and not knowing the standards of each period can be a difficult task. Having a clear idea of what all these time periods intel can help when classifying if in fact these people are hero's. Individually looking at Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and, Macbeth,it can be easy to see how each story describes the hero’s personalities and how the time period had an effect on them.
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.
Beowulf, the great Geatish warrior, lives a very adventurous life filled with many voyages, battles, and victories. Through all of these events, he meets various people who are considered to be heroes like himself. These heroes, however, are unable to have the same abilities and characteristics of Beowulf. His great achievements cannot be matched by anything that they have done in their lives. Beowulf is a superior hero to Hrothgar, Unferth, and Wiglaf in the epic of Beowulf because he kills every monster that he fights, becomes a widely feared warrior and king, and dies in battle completing his final heroic act.
The clear definition of a hero is often open to interpretation and has never been clearly defined. In the translation of the epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, it is often debated whether the main character Beowulf is actually a hero or not. Beowulf displays hero-like characteristics through his bravery, loyalty, brute strength, confidence and protective nature. He is a crystal clear example of an Anglo-Saxon hero in his time period. In the present day he should be considered a hero as well. He displays heroism through his fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon while managing to protect his people and eventually sacrifice himself.
Beowulf and Sir Gawain share courage in both of their stories. Beowulf show his courage when he decides to take on Grendel without a sword and shield. In the story, Beowulf asks Hrothgar if he can slay Grendel without armor and he says this, “Grant me, then Lord and protector of this noble place, a sing request! I have come so far, oh shelterer of warriors and our people’s loved friend, that this one favor you should not refuse me – that I, alone ...
challenges. “A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall” Aristotle. Beowulf has many adventures and he fights Grendel and other monstrous creatures but he was very sure of himself. He was born being strong and we as an audience do not identify with that. “Of living strong men he was the strongest” . Beowulf had qualities that any other man had, but he
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.
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.
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.
The title characters in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were both considered paragons of excellence by their peoples. Yet, upon close inspection of the specific actions of these characters, stark differences emerge. While Gawain is virtuous and exemplifies selflessness, Beowulf's heroism is marred by his pursuit of fame and wealth, which seems to dominate his every action. The discrepancy can be explained by a contextual analysis of both heroes. Gawain's code of chivalry emphasizes perfection and thus he is flawless.
A hero is someone that helps others no matter what the situation. There are many qualities that a hero must posses such as bravery, courage, strength, intelligence and honor. These qualities alone are not enough to make a hero. They must also be pure at heart, fight for the good of mankind and only fight when it is to protect the people and not out of revenge. Beowulf is everything a hero should be, but contains a few qualities that a hero should not posses. When Beowulf sailed with his men to Herot he had one goal, to rid the hall of Grendal. Beowulf was under no obligation to destroy Grendal and never asked for anything in return for his services. A true hero would never ask for money or anything of value. He put his life at risk to save the people of Herot, who he didn’t even know, out of his own good nature Great strength has been a trait that has been identified with heroes in many stories and legends. Than he saw hanging on the wall, a heavy Sword, hammered by giants, strong And blessed with their magic, the best of all weapons But so massive that no ordinary man could lift... (II. 1557-1560) Beowulf possessed great strength that separated him from other men. Being able to use a sword that no ordinary man was able to carry gives the feeling that Beowulf is something more than a human being. It makes him special and causes him to stand out from all other men. Fame is something that makes a hero more noted. Beowulfs popularity had spread all over the world. He never let this go to his head and he never thought that he was better than everyone else because of it. “Your fame is everywhere, my friend,/Reaches to the ends of the earth, and you hold it in your heart wisely...” (II.1704-1706). A hero should not be foolish or full of himself. Unferth said: You’re Beowulf, are you- the same Boastful fool who fought a swimming Match with Brecca, both of you daring and young and proud,exploring the deepest Seas, risking your lives for no reason But the danger? (II. 506-511) A hero should not have to prove to himself or to anyone else that he is brave, fearless or courageous. If he is pure a heart and his intentions are good then he can be considered a true hero.