...Many have asked the question of what makes a hero someone to look up to. Or why is a hero a hero? The characters in the books Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Knight's Tale all show the attributes of a hero. Beowulf takes place in what would now be modern day Denmark and Sweden while Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes place in what is now Great Britain. Finally, The Knight's Tale is an ancient legend that comes from Greece. In one story Beowulf slays the dragon Grendel. Then the young Prince Beowulf slays Grendel's mother. Similarly, Gawain goes on a dangerous adventure to keep his word, while two noble knights fight over a beautiful lady in the third story. Since all can agree that heroes must be brave and willing to risk their lives for the good of others, these protagonists exemplify a hero....
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...In dual credit British literature, I learned about the differences that society has made between the times of old English to a more modern time period. William Shakespeare was a man of tragedy and romance, and because of this he is a well-known poet and playwright. Shakespeare had a way of using words to set a scene and describe characters that made him unique to his and our society at large. It is in this way that he will continue to be remembered, but he is not the only storyteller of old English times. Whether it is Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, or the Canterbury tales, whether it is a story, an epic, or a poem, or whether it is romantic or a tragedy, society has changed from its barbaric root and literature has played a big part in doing it. As William Shakespeare quoted in in his play As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”. People in modern society have the ability to achieve much more than Shakespeare ever could; making the possibilities of the life we choose to live a very broad spectrum. Literature has shaped society by informing people of how life had been and making others think about how to change for the better. Information and choices have helped make our...
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...The fire-man saves the children, the doctor heals the patient, the police-officer grabs the crook, a hero is different things to different people. There are heroes that look the part and others who are at the right place at the right time. Ralph Waldo Emerson defined a hero as, “…No braver than any ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” In a somewhat less formal setting, Bonnie Tyler described her hero stating, “He’s got to be strong and he’s got to be fast and he’s got to be larger than life.” In Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the main-characters are brave but there are other requirements needed to make a hero. To give a complete definition: A hero is a type of honorable leader who will sacrifice...
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...Gawain Versus Beowulf Strength can be described as the audacity to fight until the last breath. In the case of both Sir Gawain and Beowulf these were the ideals that these men followed. In the poems Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and Beowulf, the main characters, Sir Gawain and Beowulf, show the physical attribute of strength and valor. However, Sir Gawain and Beowulf are different in the form of strength and qualities. One represented a king who fought for the people and the other who showed loyalty towards the kingship. Beowulf was regarded as an ideal hero by the Anglo Saxon community. The main trait that regards him as the perfect hero was his courage and strength that he shows at the very end of his life. Beowulf shows his physicality throughout the story. "Beowulf, Higlac follower and the strongest of the Geats - greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in the world"(Beowulf 46). This quote exemplifies the fact that Beowulf is considered the best warrior in the region. He is also considered by many people to have superhuman abilities and superhuman strength when he ferociously rips the arm off of Grendel in the poem. Beowulf portrays the ideals of an epic hero as well as the elements of Germanic tribes which gave him super human strength and super human qualities. He is also " A man of great strength " (Helen web). This also reinstates the detail that shows the agile nature in Beowulf and also physical toughness of him as a whole. As a result, Beowulf is a sign of...
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...Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, the heroes are Sir Gawain and Beowulf. Sir Gawain and Beowulf show these qualities in many ways, even though there are some ways in which they differ, when talking about heroic acts they are very similar. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are strong warriors. In Beowulf, Beowulf was known for fighting monsters and anything that would try to harm his people. He shows his strength and courage when Beowulf went to fight Grendel. For example, “Fastened those claws in his...
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...differences between the lead characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf—Beowulf is able to save many people during his battles and is more spiritual, while Gawain’s battle was with himself and he pays more attention to his morals—there are also similarities between the two. In fact, many fail to recognize that both characters share similarities throughout their individual stories. These similarities come with human error making each knight memorable and more realistic. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are very similar in that they both display heroism and feel a need to prove their worth, ultimately showing that one can prevail even when mistakes are made. Sir Gawain and Beowulf, both feel the need to prove themselves,...
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...The next way Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and James Bonds shows heroism is they all are willing to sacrifice to achieve what they were striving for. Beowulf sacrificed his life when he fought for the king against the dragon. Right before he went to fight Grendel, he said “No weapon therefore/for either this night; unarmed he shall face me/if face me he dares” (Beowulf 683-685). Here he is saying that Grendel can throw anything at him, but he will be unsuccessful. Beowulf was not afraid to die and was actually pretty confident that he would not die. Just like Beowulf, Sir Gawain shows sacrifice when he accepts the challenge against the green knight. Before the battle he did not fear the Green Knight saying, “Some stood and stared then stepped away....
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...Beowulf/SGGN Essay Beowulf, a strong and courageous king, willing to defend his people and his honor at any given moment, was the definition of an epic Anglo-Saxon hero. He conquered his enemies with strength and power and ruled over his people with wisdom. From the 7th century, in which Beowulf was written, to the late 14th century there was an evolution in the type of heroic characters that were portrayed in epic stories. You can see this change in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain, a noble knight of king Arthur, was humble and full of integrity. Although claiming to be the least of Arthur’s knights he was well respected across the land. He was a man of his word and a true representation of a chivalric hero. Both characters in these stories were brave and daring and shared some heroic qualities but they held individual traits as well that made them distinct and one of a kind. Beowulf is depicted in the self titled poem to be adventurous, brave, strong, determined, and willing to take any challenge. The poem focuses on three main battles that help the audience determine his character; his fight against Grendel, his victory over Grendel’s mother, and his defeat with the fire breathing dragon. In these confrontations you can understand that he was a hero, a guardian, and a protector. He rescued those in need by conquering whatever was threatening them. One example is shown when Beowulf is introducing himself to King Hrothgar. He says, “ I battled...
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...to those in the past. Beowulf, a medieval epic, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a poem emerging from the mid to late 14th century, exhibit protagonists that mirror the idealistic persona of their respective ages. Beowulf, in his namesake epic, steps up to face every challenge he is presented and performs a flawless display bravery and strength. Sir Gawain is a flawed, more human character, yet continues to strive for glory and the greater good. As a reflection of the ideal hero of their periods, Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ in their values, noble qualities, and the motivations behind their achievements. Beowulf establishes a clear-cut vision of the Anglo-Saxon heroic ideals- devotion to bloodlines, demonstrating one’s valor in battle, and accepting the spoils of war with...
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...English Study Guide E period Beowulf * The Wrath of Grendel Grendel, a murderous, powerful monster lurks outside Hrothgar’s a Danish King’s, extravagant party. God drove out the demons, but they split into many forms of evil spirits, fiends, goblins, monsters, and giants. Grendel is a demonic monster. At night, when the party ended, Grendel ate 30 guests and left blood everywhere. In the morning, the people of Herot and Hrothgar mourned the deaths of Grendel’s victims. However, Grendel came again and ate all of Hrothgar’s soldiers, leaving Herot bare. Hrothgar was incredibly saddened by this. However, God protected him and no help came from the pagan sacrifices. The only protection came from God. * The Coming of Beowulf In the land of the Geats, ruled by Higlac, Beowulf was the greatest and strongest of all the men. He decided to go to see Hrothgar, because he has heard of the horrors Grendel brought. The Geats egged on his adventure, so Beowulf took a crew of the mightiest men he could find and set forth on his journey. They arrived at the Danish shore and were questioned by the guard, who thought they might be raiders or pirates. Beowulf explained they were Geats; his father was Edgetho, a famous soldier and explained why they were there. The guard lets them pass. They enter Herot and are called to see the King. Beowulf is greeted by Hrothgar and explains why he is there. He says he will fight and kill Grendel without fear, and if he looses to...
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...great heroes from the early classic to medieval periods are Beowulf, Achilles, and Sir Gawain. The paper will look at the similarities and differences of literary heroes in order to discover how heroes changed over time. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are romantic heroes full of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, and virtue. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were both involved in battles of great magnitude and admired for their super human strength. Both of them battle with the intent to bring honor to the King: Sir Gawain to honor King Arthur and Beowulf to honor Hrothgar. The battles they fight are against good and evil, “Grendel is a shepherd of evil” and the Green Knight represents pre- Christian tribal paganism. The custom of the time period was to keep their word and honor the one who helped them rise to knighthood. Beowulf kept his word as seen in the poem as he returns from the adventures and presents all his gifts to Hygelac as a sign of loyalty (line 2145). Sir Gawain keeps his word with Lord Bertilak, by agreeing to exchange their winnings at the end of each day (Sir Gawain 1105-1113). Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ as heroes in several ways. First, Sir Gawain is an Arthurian Hero and as such holds to a Christian faith while Beowulf holds to the pagan history of Britain. Sir Gawain draws strength from his devotion to Christ and the five social graces of generosity, brotherly love, chastity, courtesie, and piety. Beowulf believes in fate: “Fate...
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...texts, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, a hero battles his respective villain to uphold his values, and as such, save his world. Challenged by a green knight, Sir Gawain must receive blows to the neck by the creature after staying in the house of a Sir Bertilak. All the while, he must try to conciliate two differing moral codes. Beowulf, on the other hand, must defeat various monsters to protect his people and his allies. Although both must prove their worth, Sir Gawain must resist temptation to sin, while Beowulf must protect his people and their allies. A giant, green warrior rides into a hall full of King Arthur’s men. Sir Gawain stands up, in place of King Arthur, and delivers a decapitating blow to the Green Knight after Sir Gawain promises to find him to receive a blow in return. As Sir Gawain searches for the Green Knight, he finds shelter in the castle of a local lord, Lord Bertilak, and his wife, Lady Bertilak. In the Church, desires of the flesh are considered evil, and should be avoided. In the chivalric code, one must always obey authority. These two values come in contradiction when Sir Gawain is asked by Lady Bertilak to give a kiss to her. “‘One gracious as Gawain is rightly held to be, with courtesy contained so clear in himself, could not lightly have lingered so long with a lady, but he craved a kiss out of...
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...characterization of Sir Gawain and Beowulf stems from the concept of heroism and moral superiority that was common in early British literature. Sir Gawain is quickly introduced when he responds to the Green Knight’s proposal, but the author of Beowulf introduces his character slowly, describing every detail of his grand entrance. Although Beowulf is introduced from the very beginning as a great and valuable warrior, and Sir Gawain as one of little loss, we can learn the most about each character not from the author’s description, but from their own words, actions and the praise they get from others. Sir Gawain sees himself as feeble and worthless, but his friends hold him in much higher regard. “Much mournful lament was made in the hall...
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...Medieval period women were forced to take background roles in society. They were considered inferior to men and reduced to roles that were limited to motherly figures and skilled work. Unlike men, they were not allowed to take arms and once married their ownership was passed on to men. In Beowulf, whose author is unknown, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Geoffrey Chaucer, women took more active roles in the lives of them than society allowed them. In Beowulf, Grendel’s mother is portrayed as a monstrous woman who attacks men to avenge the death of her son Grendel. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Lady Bertilak and Morgan le Faye diminish the roles of men proving them to be cowards that don’t live up to the standards of powerful men. These women proved to be exceptions to the ideal medieval woman who were ultimately separate from men. Women play a minor role Beowulf, Grendel’s mother plays a significant role as she is known as just that, Grendel’s mother. She is not given a name as other women in the poem although she comes in direct contact with the poem’s main character, Beowulf. As a descendent of Cain, she invades Heorot to avenge the death of her son Grendel, who is killed by Beowulf to save their civilization. Throughout medieval literature women play background roles as mothers, caregivers, and peacemakers; they were not allowed to take arms but were reduced to their roles as women. The role that Grendel’s mother plays is simply a mother, although seeking revenge...
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...To Be a Human- Then and Now Throughout the span of time humankind has asked the question: What does it mean to be human? Some of the world’s greatest men have contemplated over this question and there are a vast number of theories on what makes a human. A scientist might take a more literal opinion of the question, thinking that we are human because we are higher on the evolutionary chain; we are physically, emotionally and mentally complex. While others might take a more philosophical position on the matter, like René Descartes who originally spoke the famous phrase: “I think, therefore I am”. A philosopher would value the fact that humans can intelligently communicate their thoughts, and these thoughts can change the very existence of man as a whole through invention and innovation. Religious groups would base their opinion of humans on their faith; we are human simply because we are not God. At times science, philosophy and religion can confuse a person opinion on what it actually means to be human. Maybe the concept of being human is much simpler then some may think. Being human could simply mean that we as a collective race are imperfect. The idea of human imperfection is not easily explained by science, philosophy or religion. They can all sometimes be too complex to understand. Science exemplifies the human race as a species, philosophy praises human race as thinkers and religion looks at the human race as sinners and how we all must be perfect to please God...
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