Comparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

gender role. The Lady’s role questions traditional presumptions of the roles of women in medieval literature. Women of the Middle Ages were generally dependent, inferior, and many female portraits in medieval texts did not fare better. While men of the Middle Ages were generally chivalry, valiance, noble and honest. Throughout the poem I began to see gender roles being reversed between Lady Bertilak and Sir Gawain.

Since the beginning of society, bravery has been innate in everyone. From David’s fight with Goliath, to modern day’s stand against prejudice, people continue to attack in tough positions. However, cowardice is ingrained in everyone as well. People are constantly avoiding danger―physical and internal, such as Peter’s denial of Jesus and dodging responsibility. Consequently, there is a fine line between bravery and cowardice. Granted, when is the turning point where self preservation becomes a greater priority than helping others? In the epic poem, Beowulf, and the medieval romance, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Beowulf and Sir Gawain similarly show humanity’s inclination to act brave when situations become difficult, until their lives are put at risk―revealing everyone's inner cowardice.

The upbringing of children by the environments (parents, relatives, the neighbor next door) in each generation and country differ, and thus produces a unique child for each. The societal environment molds the child and the child becomes a character as he/she grows older. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are extremely different despite the almost similar societies in which each grew up in. The few similarities they share are a small derivative from the religious aspect of their childhood to adulthood. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both warriors in the sense of fighting for the protection and honor of their kings, but Beowulf struggles to maintain humility in his personality unlike Sir Gawain. Also with religion being prominent in mostly Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it provides a contrast of each protagonist’s life. In full examination of the two characters, it can be said that Sir Gawain and Beowulf’s motives and actions throughout the story are for the morally right, however, the differences of personality reveal great detail of each’s persona.

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.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures “into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild” (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find “harborage” on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. He rides to the castle and is granted permission to enter by the lord. Gawain is attended to in a fashion befitting kings, and he meets the lord who tells his identity to all in the court. There are many significant implications and foreshadowings which occur during Gawain’s

In Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight there are two heroes that help the present day reader gain insight into what the hero of the Middle Ages would have held as ideals and necessary triumphs. Beowulf and Sir Gawain each fill a different role within their unique societies. Beowulf is a leader and a savior in times of need, willing to go to any length to help another group of people as well as his own kingdom. Sir Gawain is also willing to rise during moments of trouble within his court but lacks the altruism that is inherent in Beowulf's leadership. Although there are many pursuable comparisons within the two tales, the most apparent between the two heroes are that of faith, the men who encouraged them, bravery and the

Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are tales about two brave heros. While both Beowulf and Sir Gawain are heros in their own stories, both men are portrayed differently. In each story, both heroes possess similar traits such as courage, loyalty and honor. A hero may be unchanging to his values when a situation crosses his path. However, when it comes to comparing these two great men, I would consider Sir Gawain the true hero.

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.

According to Tom Hanks, a hero is “somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” A hero is someone who puts another’s needs before themselves, is strong, and courageous. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are epic heroes who embody these ideals. Sir Gawain is part of King Arthur’s court, and he is the sole knight who bravely accepts the Green Knight’s challenge in order to protect his king. On the contrary, Beowulf is a warrior and a king. He is constantly battling monsters for the glory and fame. Sir Gawain is more honorable, because he has superior beliefs, motivations, and is more courageous.

Long-form poems Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight stem from two distinct time periods containing distinguished cultures, values, and ideologies. The Anglo-Saxon age, where Beowulf takes place, was a melting pot of Christian and pagan values. Epic battles, gruesome challenges, ideas of fate and destiny, and personal pride defined their heroism. Centuries later, in the Age of Chivalry, heroes possessed humility, respect, honesty, and integrity. Beowulf and Sir Gawain represent their cultures’ ideals respectively. Beowulf’s masculine demeanour and physical prowess, contrasted with Sir Gawain’s nuanced mental self consciousness, demonstrate an incoherent, often polarizing depiction of Old English heroism, in which neither protagonist fully possesses the values of an ideal hero.

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.

In the worlds of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the journeys of two heroes, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, are depicted through the form of poems. The two stories have become two of the most important works of literature in the English history. In the two poems, both Beowulf and Sir Gawain face great challenges in their journeys as heroes. Beowulf embarks on a quest to defeat Grendel and his mother while Sir Gawain faces many difficulties on his search for the Green Knight. Although the main characters in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight exhibit many of the same characteristics, the two poems have stylistic differences and differ in societal values.

A hero, what is a hero? Close your eyes and imagine what a hero is. Is it a man or a woman? Are they tall or short? Do they have dark or light hair? Are they young or old? Now take this hero you have imagined and give him or her traits. What would they be? Is he or she courageous or adventurous? Are they physically strong or mentally strong, or both? A hero is defined in 3 ways; selflessness, humbleness, and bravery.

Part of the essence of drama is conflict. A man cannot be considered a hero unless he has overcome some form of opposition. In many cases, this opposition comes in the form of another character. Typically, the conflict is simplified as a malignant character with wicked intentions committing acts which would be characterized as evil; the protagonist opposes this villain and usually overcomes that character, winning the day and the admiration of all. Sometimes, the main character becomes a hero by overcoming some force within his or her own self. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, this is ultimately what Gawain must do in order to be considered a hero.

While both the characters Beowulf and Sir Gawain are similar in the fact that they are both heroes, each story uses different ways to tell their tale. From going on an adventure, to fighting the enemy, to trying and save a kingdom, both stories contain the good versus bad elements that makes the telling of two brave heroes. One way that both characters are similar is the fact that they both go on an adventure, while showing acts of bravery and selflessness. Both characters jumped at a chance to risk their lives to save their king and earn their honor and respect. However, while both characters are considered heroes, each character focuses on different values. Despite the minor differences each character has from one another, both characters