The Similarities Of King Arthur Vs. Beowulf

He showed courage by risking his own life to help Hrothgar and the people of Herot by volunteering to fight Grendel. Beowulf states “That I alone, and with the help of my men, may purge all the evil from this hall” (pg.48). He also showed courage by fighting the dragon, even though he was getting too old, he still wanted to help and fight the dragon. He stated “I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me” (pg.56-57). Beowulf exemplified having courage by putting down his weapons and armor in the battle between him and Grendel, he wanted to fight him equally considering Grendel had no weapons. He made it a battle of strength and he displayed courage by believing in himself and taking a risk in fighting against Grendel. Beowulf was very full of courage, which he proved by fighting in his battles and risking his life for the sake of others.

Beowulf’s virtues of courage and strength appear throughout the poem during his life as a warrior and as a king. He begins the story with courage and “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (380-381), which are vital to his accomplishments as a warrior. His courage and strength are apparent when he fights Grendel without the use of weapons. Both virtues are crucial to his success in that battle and lead him to become a leader of wisdom and stature. As king of Heorot he uses his courage and strength in the battle against the dragon. Before the fight he has a feeling of uncertainty and it is stated “He was sad at heart / unsettled yet ready, sensing his death. / His fate hovered near, unknowing but certain: / It would soon claim his coffered soul.” (2419-2424). His sense of forthcoming death may illustrates a lack of confidence in his ability to slay the dragon; however, it also shows tremendous courage by involving himself in an unevenly matched fight. Although his physical strength may have abandoned him in his last fight against the dragon, his courage and wisdom intensified his glory beyond his death.

Beowulf is a prime example of what it means to be courageous. In his fight with Grendel, he chooses “[n]o weapons, therefore, / for either this night: unarmed he shall face me / if face me he dares” (683-84). Beowulf has never encountered Grendel before. He has only heard the stories of the beast’s evil doings, so going into a fight with no protection requires great strength and bravery. Beowulf is the only man to dive into the waters to fight Grendel’s Mother. He goes into the fight believing “life doesn’t cost him a thought” (1536). The outcome of the battle does not faze Beowulf because a warrior should

Overall, Beowulf is a better ruler than Arthur because although Arthur had remarkable morals and intentions, he was not praised nor respected like Beowulf. If there is no respect for a leader, than how can one be a “good” leader? Beowulf’s men cherished him and believed in him. They had his back for every choice he made. After Arthur decided to not accuse his wife of treason, some of his men betrayed and left him. Also, Beowulf had no gluttony and did not desire any gold or riches. He was generous and gave all to his people. For example, Beowulf admirably states, “I sold my life/ For this treasure and I sold it well” (l. 809-810). His relief upon seeing the treasure demonstrates his desire to leave something to his citizens. Beowulf made the Danes a peaceful people once again, making him one of their greatest kings and heroes.

The way in which these heroes fought their battles reveals their strengths and weaknesses. Beginning in Beowulf’s first quest, his bold personality allows him to undertake his task head on and with bravery. When Beowulf fights Grendel, he is daring and noble enough to fight the monster without any weapons. If Beowulf had a weak personality he would not have been courageous enough to fight Grendel without weapons although he does mention that it is the honorable thing to do. During Beowulf’s final quest he willingly fights the dragon for his people although he knows he will die doing so. “...---a king, before, but now / A beaten warrior.” Beowulf’s strong personality allowed him to be noble whereas Arthur’s frail personality did not allow him to stand up for what he knew was right. Arthur’s wife Guenever was involved in an affair with his best friend Lancelot. Knowing that this was occurring, Arthur failed to address the issue, slowly causing him to become a sad old king. Arthur was also much weaker than Beowulf because Arthur failed to overcome the temptation of Queen Morgause, thus committing incest. Not only does the strength of each character affect their quests, it also affects the use of symbolism through the sword in each tale.

The early anglo-saxon culture placed value many things; gifts, a long life, and loyalty. But one thing surpassed all of these in importance; courage. The demonic dragons terrorizing the population create an aura of fear that no character can deny, but Beowulf stands up to the demons and defeats them. He displays incredible courage in the face of danger and creates a legacy for himself that lives on with his people, even after his demise. Despite the numerous dragons he faced, Beowulf defeated evil when all hope seemed lost. Because of the unshakable courage he possessed; he did it not once, not twice, but three times.

One of the more noticeable differences is the shape in which the heroes end their battle in. In light of the repetitive foreshadowing of his death, “Beowulf was foiled / of a glorious victory,” and he succumbed to death after being poisoned by the dragon’s venom (2583). Alternatively, Redcrosse knight survives his skirmish, despite wanting to die in the midst of it: “Death better were, death did he oft desire, / But death will never come, when needes require” (Spenser 28.4-5). Moreover, neither of these heroes would have slain these dragons without assistance, but they do receive different kinds of aid.

King Arthur and the warrior Beowulf are two immensely different heroes. One started as an orphan, the other a prince. One died fighting a dragon, the other his own son. In a period of approximately four hundred years the “heroic ideal” changed from an independent hero with power similar to that of a demigod to an imperfect king leading a team of knights and consulting a wizard. Both fought against evil, but overcame contrasting evils in exceedingly different ways.

To begin, Beowulf demonstrates his courage when the narrator states: “After many trials, / he was destined to face the end of his days/ in this mortal world… no dread at all/ of its [the dragon] courage or strength” (Heaney 2341-2347). To reemphasize, this reveals that although Beowulf knows that he is going to die from fighting the dragon, he still decides to take on the challenge to protect his people. In addition, Beowulf comments on the importance of courage when he states: “Often, for undaunted courage/ fate spares the man that it has not already marked” (572-573). To clarify, Beowulf believes that one’s courage will control their destined fate of life or death. In society today, this courage is valued just as much as it was in the Anglo-Saxon era.

If someone asked to you to name two kings, the first two would most likely be Beowulf or Arthur. These two heroes' stories have been passed down from generation to generations, being both modernized and even made into movies. Both come from humble beginnings and a fantasy type setting with a twist of history in their time-lines. Though magic and pagan morals seem to be a theme, it is theorized that Christianity maybe the main religion in these tales. So the similarities in these tales are many but also their differences are what show us what these heroes are personal.

With already reading Beowulf and now finishing one of Arthur’s Legends, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, it seems as if King Arthur and Beowulf are similarly the same. The understandable similarities are that they are the hero’s of the stories. They both have swords that are of legend, Arthurs: Excalibur and Beowulf: Hrunting. Another way Arthur and Beowulf are similar, is their pre-Christian backgrounds, in which Christianity seems to have a big influence in both of the stories. They both have a loyal followers, however, Arthur has a better-devoted group. Lastly these two are not only brave and wise, but they also hold a strong sense on honor.

There are many similarities and differences in the movie and the original poem, telling the story of Beowulf. The most major difference is that Hrothgar was not the father of Grendel.   Also, it is never mentioned that Hrothgar or Beowulf ever being romantically involved to become the fathers of Grendel or the dragon. Other differences include that Grendel's mother is never described as covered in gold.

While both Beowulf and Arthur do have their similarities, I noticed an interesting difference. I noticed how the two kings behaved during their final moments and the opposite relationships they have with their people. Beowulf, as you can recall, is deemed a fierce warrior and ultimate hero. It is through these titles and reputation that Beowulf is eventually bestowed the title of king. Arthur is questioned by his people and is generally disliked. His people do not consider him a good king and therefore struggle to trust in a king who may not even be the rightful heir to the throne.

In Beowulf the classic epic, Beowulf, the hero of the epic, and other major characters reflect heroic ideals and beliefs of courage, generosity, unquestioning loyalty and devotion. Courage is most evident throughout Beowulf Beowulf does not back down from any challenge that stands in his way whether it be Grendel, Grendel’s mother, or the dragon. His bravery is most evident in his preparation for his fight with Grendel, Beowulf, “took off his shirt of armour, the helmet from his head, handed his embellished sword, best of irons to an attendant,…” He chose to bravely fight his foe, man to beast without weaponery for he knew it would be “cowardly” to defeat Grendel with a sword and armor when Grendel himself had none. Even in his

Courage is a trait shared by Beowulf and King Arthur or “Wart”. Beowulf showed courage through the many battles he fought . Beowulf went to Heorot in hopes of defeating Grendel, the monster that had been attacking Herot for the last twelve years. This was courageous because he knew that he could be killed, but he fought anyway because that's what he needed to do. Wart showed courage when he pulled the sword out of the stone. He did not want to be King of England, let alone at such a young age. He wanted to put the sword back in the stone or let someone else become King. Wart was courageous and became King because he knew that was his duty. These examples show that courage