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Essay the theme of chivalry in todays literature
Chivalry in literature
Essay the theme of chivalry in todays literature
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In English writings, the protagonists carry themselves the way they do because of their culture and the way their cultural values influenced the protagonist. There are many cultures that have produced literature, but one thing that almost all cultures in literature have in common is that it all comes together to form a Monomythic pattern, which is a common model that shows the hero’s journey. The Anglo Saxon folk epic Beowulf and the Medieval chivalric romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight show similarities and differences in their archetype patterns due to the way their values are expressed in that time period.
In many Monomythic patterns, it all starts with the call to the adventure. We see this archetype in both Sir Gawain and the
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Green Knight and Beowulf. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain’s first “Crossing of the threshold” takes place when he proves his worthiness and bravery by accepting the Green Knight’s challenge, and the “Call to Adventure” happens when he must fulfil his agreement and find the Green Chapel to fight The Green Knight. Beowulf’s “call to adventure” occurs he hears the Danes and Camelot is in danger from the well-known beast Grendel. Beowulf goes to Danesland to give his proposal to slay Grendel and he makes it through the guards into the castle, that would be “Crossing the first threshold”, another archetype pattern seen in both stories. Both Beowulf and Grendel displayed their cultural values right from the start. Beowulf symbolizes the warrior code of the Anglo-Saxon, while Sir Gawain expresses the culture of the chivalric code of the middle Ages. Both characters showed they valued loyalty in their call to adventure, Sir Gawain stepped up to the challenge instead of letting his king, King Arthur accept the challenge the Green Knight proposed, he showed his Loyalty to the king. Beowulf showed loyalty to the Danes. The Danes see how dedicated he is to accept the challenge to protect Camelot. These protagonists had similarities on how they expressed their values. Mutually Sir Gawain and Beowulf highly value bravery and courage, so refusing the call to protect their kingdoms isn’t something they express in their departure. This represented another similarity in how they value their codes and how it is seen in their actions. Before Beowulf goes off to his journey, he gets advice and aid from King Hrothgar on how to be successful in defeating Grendel.
Since Beowulf will be fighting Grendel he doesn't know as much as King Hrothgar may know, so that's where Hrothgar’s help comes in, making Hrothgar the monomythic “Mentor”. While on his departure, Beowulf is also getting “Supernatural Aid” from himself, he is given abnormal strength and this will help him on his journey. This is where Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ, Sir Gawain’s “Mentor” has yet to be discovered in his departure. While on his trip, Sir Gawain’s Christian background helps him by showing him the way. The picture of Mary that Beowulf keeps with him is believed to be God’s protection. These protagonists show similarities in cultural values in their departure, They both have religious backgrounds and look to God for help and are rewarded in return of their dedication. For Beowulf, he is rewarded abnormal strength and powerful swords and Sir Gawain is given the way to the kingdom after he prayed to …show more content…
Mary. Next, the hero’s must go through a “ Road of trials” before facing the “Ultimate task”. For Beowulf, it was defeating multiple monsters, first it was slaying Grendel, then Grendel’s mother. For Sir Gawain, It was the three temptations by the Lady of the Castle , testing his loyalty to the chivalric codes. There is a major difference in the way they are tested, Beowulf’s trials test his strength while Sir Gawain’s trials test his dedication to his codes. These trials prepared and led them to their “Ultimate Tasks”,which is what their whole journey has led up to. For Sir Gawain, his “Ultimate Task” occurs when he is going up to the Green Chapel and facing whatever is about to come from The Green Giant. Beowulf faces his “Ultimate Task” years later after his trials, His task occurs when he is called to defeat a Dragon that is terrorizing the kingdom. The pair of heroes shows signs of bravery and courage to face their task, which is a cultural value in the Middle Ages and a large cultural value in the Anglo-Saxon, yet the distinct difference of the two rest in the value of pride, Beowulf is overwhelmed with pride from his previous victories when he was younger, which can be seen in the reason why he chose to slay the dragon alone without help. While Sir Gawain, is a little skeptical and isn’t sure of what to expect. He knows he has done wrong by his culture by not being honest with The Host’s about his wife’s gift, therefore his pride has been affected. The “Apotheosis” occurs in a hero’s journey after the “Ultimate Task”, when a hero learns a lesson after the last trial. Sir Gawain learns that The Green Giant in reality isn’t “The Devil Figure” but instead he is his “Mentor” and “The Evil Figure Who Is Ultimately Good”. Gawain is taught not to be dishonest and to resist temptations, he now learns that he need to follow his chivalric codes strictly. In Beowulf, from his previous trials he never really learns, his prides builds from one trial to the next, and once he’s older his pride is still strongly there and carries it with him when he is older. Then when he is called to fight a dragon, he shows no sign of humbleness and thinks he is as strong as he was when he was older, and his pride causes his downfall. At this point this is where the reader can see the major cultural differences between the two characters.Sir Gawain and Beowulf were defeated in the end, Beowulf suffered a physical defeat, whereas Sir Gawain was defeated internally. The trials test the strength of their values. Although Beowulf showed pride very greatly and represented that cultural value of the Anglo-Saxon era, he forgot to be humble. As Sir Gawain was brave and Loyal, he lacked honesty, and he was weak in fighting off his temptations but he was given another chance to repent his error and change his character unlike Beowulf. We can see these hero’s flaws in the way they addressed their decisions. Lastly, the hero’s “Return” occurs.
Sadly, there was no return for Beowulf, his lack of “Apotheosis” led to his death and he was killed by pride. His kingdom did suffer as there was no longer a king to rule it, and his people dealt with the grief. Sir Gawain was lucky enough to be given another chance. He returns to his kingdom ashamed of himself and informs his people his mistake in the chivalric code. He wears the green girdle to remind himself that he has failed in his adventure to see The Green Knight. The whole kingdom misunderstands the whole story and instead see that Sir Gawain returned from seeing the Green Knight and think of it as a grand adventure and proceed to wear a green girdle. This girdle represents the ignorance of his people. Sir Gawain does not end up saving the community but instead
himself. Although Sir Gawain and The Green Giant and Beowulf both follow the Monomythic literature pattern and show similarities in the way their journey occurs, they have major distinct differences in their codes regarding their time period. Beowulf represented his cultural value “Pride” a little too much and Sir Gawain didn’t value his code “Honesty” enough. The themes opposed, although they both dealt with how much these hero’s valued their culture, the theme for Beowulf was that too much off a good thing can be bad, his “Pride” and for Sir Gawain and The Green Knight the theme was too less of a good thing can also be bad. These cultural values can be very tricky and these stories show a perfect example of how strict the heroic and chivalric tend to be and how they strived for perfection in following th
The archetypes that permeate many different stories all originate from Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces. More specifically, in the medieval story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a variety of different archetypes are especially necessary to the theme of the story. An understanding of three key archetypes—the temptress the magic weapon, and the task—reveal the essence of Gawain’s role within the archetypal quest motif.
...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.
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.
There are many trials the hero goes through in his adventure, which makes up the third step of Campbell's hero cycle. Gawain's first trial is in the castle when he takes over A...
When referring to archaic writing, it is clear to see the recurring archetypes and symbols throughout plots and situations. Understandably, certain patterns involving such motifs have continued through centuries, resulting in various works based around the same monomythic template with slight variations. All the big movie titles we love, Aladdin, Shrek, even, Sharknado contain more than traces of these archetypal patterns, consisting of a hero, a mentor, a dark figure and so on. Prime examples of this archetypal plot structure, with their own unique adaptations, may be found within the two poetic narratives Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Aside from their completely disparate backgrounds and morals, both works include and follow the monomythic journey, as perceived by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, as well as in the secondary works of others who have helped to further our understanding of this analytical method. This generalization, however, is shifted when one dissects further into these two pieces of literature. As in the majority of monomythic quest narratives, the protagonist often practices and displays the characteristics of courage, loyalty, humility
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.
Yet, Gawain did err in accepting the girdle; that much cannot be denied. We, the reader, can forgive him since he repents fully, even going so far as to impose penance (of wearing the girdle eternally as a mark of his fall) on himself. It takes a mild rebuke by the Green Knight to crack Gawain’s façade of confident valor. His conscience compels him to break down when confronted by his host as to his indiscretion. However, this happened only when the host had revealed himself to be the same as the Green Knight. We realize that Gawain had previously perceived in Sir Bertilak an equal in knighthood; thus his ease in deceiving him in the exchange of winnings game. When Gawain realizes he was the subject of a test, he sees Bertilak/Green Knight in a different light. The Green Knight now becomes Gawain’s confessor and in doing so assumes a fatherly role.
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.
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.
Then the Danes decide to go back to Herot and while they are sleeping, Grendel’s mother
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.
There are archetypal patterns in life. They reoccur and become familiar to people through all ages and ethnicities. Throughout history, few literary works have captivated audiences by incorporating these patterns. The epic Beowulf is one literary work that effectively incorporates timeless components. The epic poem relates the tale of Beowulf, a warrior who throughout his life overcomes evils. It has strong elements of Anglo-Saxon elements of bravery, strength and of religious tenets. Beowulf enjoys universal appeal primarily because of its elements of characterization, plot and theme that prove timeless. Beowulf’s portrayal of human nature proves eternal. The protagonist Beowulf brashly lists his accomplishments before entering battle: "But the truth is simple: no man swims in the sea as I can, no strength is a match for mine… other monsters crowded around me, continually attacking. I treated them politely, offering the edge of my razor-sharp sword," (265-294). His boasts are symbolic of his personal insecurity. Beowulf seems scared of defeat and faliure. His boastful remarks are reminders to himself of his invincibility. Because he is insecure, Beowulf is an accurate representation of human nature. The poem also discloses social behaviors through Welthow, who portrays appropriate submissiveness of a wife. Women in society and position always are hot topics for discussion in any country and time period. She is subservient to her husband and " [pours] a portion from the jeweled cup for each, till [she] had carried the mead-cup among [the guests]," (354-372). Jealousy is a accurately portrayed in the poem.
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.