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The theme of honor and courage in beowulf
Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the green knight
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heroic element present in Beowulf, Lanval, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Wife of Bath is loyalty whether it be to to their Lord/King or themselves. In Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Lanval the loyalty exists in the relationship with the Lord/King. In The Wife of Bath, the loyalty is to herself by sticking to what she believes in. The loyalty portrayed in Beowulf is because he had to pay back an overdue family debt so it makes it more important for Beowulf. In Lanval and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the loyalty portrayed by chivalry even though it is not mentioned. In this time period, chivalry was very important, because it serves as a background for these stories. Lanval and Gawain’s loyalty comes from the code …show more content…
When Guinevere confesses her love to Lanval, he rejects her and states that he could never be with her and betray the king (269-274). This backfires on him, because Guinevere tells the king that ‘Lanval had dishonored her’ (316), even though he did no such thing. We find that Lanval truly is proven not guilty and is loyal to the king because his lover comes to his defense (615-624). She tells the court of how the queen lied and that Lanval should not suffer what he said, so he is set free and never heard of again. This in turn, shows that Lanval is the loyal to the king and Guinevere is not even though it makes it seem like Lanval is the guilty party. Guinevere is the one that tried to seduce Lanval and Lanval clearly states that he does not want her. This also brings out his loyalty to his lover, because he could have easily had a romantic rendezvous with Guinevere and be disloyal to both the king and his lover but he choose to be loyal to both even though he almost got punished for something he didn’t …show more content…
The wife says that she had five husbands and that’s all thanks to God (1-8). She is trying to make it seem like having five husbands is justifiable in her case and that of her five husbands they were all submissive to her. They may not have obeyed her at first, but eventually they all became submissive at one point in the relationship. She strongly believes that husbands should obey their wives, sort of in a feminist view. She is loyal to this belief and to herself, because this view does not change. Her loyalty is different in that of Beowulf, Gawain, and Lanval in that the loyalty is to the king, but instead herself as well as similar to Gawain in that he was also loyal to
What is a hero? Is it someone who pulls a drowning child out of a lake or is it someone such as Nelson Mandela who inspires others to be better? I believe it is both. Although the two differ in what makes them a hero, they are still a hero. That being said, when comparing the British characters Beowulf and Sir Gawain, I found that both fit the hero archetype. Beowulf and Sir Gawain will be compared on the hero archetype characteristics of being better than the ordinary man, proving oneself many times, and having a tragic flaw.
A leader in any tale is an exceptional figure, whether good or evil, they also display tremendous strength above all others be it physical, emotional or mental. Their qualities instill in them a reverence that all of their subjects come to realize and respect. The role of leader is usually first assigned to a different character and upon completion of his journey the main character usually becomes the leader or a figure who has the potential to lead others, the leader is usually a well-known, revered, however they are alone, both figuratively and physically. Beowulf written by an unnamed poet has multiple characters that the reader can identify as leaders, one whom is within the first five lines of the text. Shielf Sheafson, is described as the scourge of many tribes becomes the first Cyng of the Danes. In Sir Gawain the Green Knight also written by an unknown author, features many leaders the greatest of which was King Arthur, followed soon by Sir Gawain and the rest of the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Gawain’s trial is actually a journey to test his leadership girls. At the end, he realizes his error and becomes the leader figure he should be. Finally, Paradise Lost written by John Milton features two leaders, Lucifer and God, though each relies on either end of the section they both in body characteristics of a leader. The leader figure through time has many of the same traits. Each leader carries with them a particular set of characteristics that make them a leader usually through a sacrificing something, there is also a sense of reverence, omnipotence, and solitude.
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.
The moral of Lanval could be a theme of virtues consisting of loyalty and justice, but it could also be seen as a test of Lanval's loyalty to Queen Semiramis. It is likely that Lanval would have been found innocent since the attendants who arrived before Queen Semiramis were indeed superior in beauty to Queen Guinevere. Lanval, however, would rather die than betray his beloved in this way, which might be what leads her to save him. One could say that the moral of this story is loyalty and justice will always prevail over betrayal and prejudice.
Lanval, a handsome knight, falls desperately in love with a beautiful maiden, who grants the knight her love on the condition that he keep their bliss in full secrecy. Upon returning home, Lanval is confronted by Guinevere, who attempts to seduce him . After her initial advances are rejected, the Queen tries a new tactic, attacking Lanval 's masculinity: "I have been told often enough that you have no desire for women. Base coward, wicked recreant, my lord is extremely unfortunate to have suffered you near him. " By questioning Lanval 's worthiness to serve by Arthur, Guinevere is questioning Lanval 's very status as a knight, and once again we see a knightly protagonist put into a hopeless situation as many of his chivalric duties--- courteousness to the Queen, faithfulness to his King, honesty and loyalty to his lover, and defense of his own honor--- are forced into an unresolvable conflict. Lanval defends his honor and honors his King 's trust, but breaks his promise to his lover and grievously insults the Queen: "I love and am loved by a lady who should be prized above all others... you can be sure that one of her servants, even the very poorest girl, is worth more than you, my lady the Queen, in body, face and beauty, wisdom and goodness. " Lanval 's inability to simultaneously commit to all of his knightly responsibilities is comically underscored by his polite hesitation ("my lady the Queen") even
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 only display these certain traits. In this heroic poem, respect and trust come naturally. Honor and integrity are present throughout the poem. There are many moments in Beowulf that manifest the many traits that a person should have. This proves how important these attributes are to the characters and the Anglo-Saxon society. Although Beowulf has no known author, it embodies many of the beliefs and morals of the early Germanic society. The author of this epic poem uses many approaches in order to demonstrate that respect and trust are fundamental characteristics of a leader and hero.
Men exemplify heroic qualities in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, however, women are depicted differently in the two stories. In Beowulf, women are not necessary to the epic, where as in Green Knight, women not only play a vital role in the plot, but they also directly control the situations that arise. Men are acknowledged for their heroic achievement in both stories, while the women's importance in each story differ. However, women are being equally degraded in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Guenever’s dialogue with Lancelot shows signs of guilt, but an overall distinct feeling of love. On page 549, she states that “You (Lancelot) will be killed, and I shall be burned, and our love has come to a bitter end.” The love she has for Lancelot is obviously strong, enough for her to accept her own demise. This sad articulation of her love for him is quite powerful. She understands her actions, and also shows signs of paranoia. She claims, on page 567, that “Tristram used to sleep with King Mark’s wife, and the king murdered him for it.” Guenever is thoughtful of what’s to come, for both her AND her partner. It is obvious that she knew she could not always “have her cake and eat it too.” As a woman, suffering through the psychological battle of “what is right”, Guenever had an awareness of her love and it’s outcome.
Picture a world shrouded in darkness and despair, where war is inevitable and its inhabitants live with a relentless sense of fear. Medieval Europe was not a peaceful or secure place, but rather a world filled with turmoil, suffering, and unrest. Commoners living in medieval Europe never strayed far from the security of their homes because evil and suffering lurked within every facet of society. The story of Beowulf recounts the life of an idealized warrior, whose desire for honor instills deep convictions of justified violence. In many ways, Beowulf’s attitude parallels the warrior instinct exhibited by the crusaders as they attempted to recapture the Holy Land. Hence, the world of medieval Europe painted suffering for a just cause as an honorable
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.
The idea of this love story seems to be unrealistic because of the fairy aspect, as well as the idea of Lanval not being able to explain himself in court. Even though the fairy warns him not to tell anyone about their love, I find it difficult to believe that she could do anything damaging to him. Another concept of note is that this love story seems to be a magical idea within the actual real world. In this story, Marie portrays the real life of law and the judicial system by explaining the trial Lanval endures because of the lie Guinevere told the King. The idea that this love story makes sense in the real world is fallacious. This story has no depth to it, and essentially the fairy is playing a game on Lanval just to get him to do what she wants. The fairy has a unique role from the other maidens and “… plays both parts of lovely lady and heroic knight, her lover…” (Burns 47). This is unique to the rest of Marie de France’s lais because the hero is customarily the male character. While this relationship is unique and endures complications, it is not a realistic perception of what love should
In the Medieval poem “Lanval” by Marie De France, she explores the traditional theme of Guinevere by utilizing literary interests and demonstrating the original ideas of Guinevere’s character. Accordingly, she approaches when Guinevere favors others over her husband and how she follows a plan to seduce them. For this poem., Guinevere remains to be a supporting character who causes unfortunate events for the main character, Lanval. Wanting to start an affair with him, Guinevere rushes herself over to him and displays her fiery personality to the hero offering herself to him. Completely blindsiding her, Lanval refuses and walks away from her. De France shows how Guinevere manipulates Arthur by devising a well-built lie, claiming Lanval asked, “For a love-affair” and when she refused him, he insulted her beauty (De France line 318). Playing her cards to ignite a flame
Beowulf and Gawain are shown as great leaders. Sir Gawain is liked by most people he has met. Beowulf has many loyal followers by his side. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both brave and loyal. They attempt to honor their kings and kingdoms. Those are all qualities of a hero.
According to Capellanus, “Good character alone makes any man worthy of love”. In Lanval, the fairy lover chooses Lanval because he is “worthy and courtly” (Lawall 1319). Lanval gladly accepts the fairy’s love. He promises to “abandon all others for [her]” (Lawall 1319). Capellanus also says that “a true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved”. Therefore, Lanval loves his fairy lover solely. When the Queen offers her love to Lanval, he rejects her because his heart is devoted to his fairy lover. His beloved is one whom he “prized above all others” (Lawall 1320). Lanval desires no one more than his fairy lover. She provides him with “great joy and pleasure” that he can forego the other pleasures of the world (Lawall 1320). The claim she has on him is like that of a king’s.
To conclude, from the evidence that is portrayed in the tale of “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” is an example of disloyalty and Sir Gawain violated the code of chivalry and how serious it was taken in that age. Sir Gawain not keeping his word was almost seen as a sin because its did not follow this code which knights lived by. Also relating to “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” the tale of “The Wife of Bath” also has theme of disloyalty displayed throughout the tale. The Knight by not being honorable and courageous and by raping an innocent maiden violates the code of chivalry which the took seriously. Therefore it is fair to say that the theme of disloyalty is evident throughout both of these tales and that breaking the code of chivalry could