Similarities Between Sir Gawain And Beowulf
Defining a True Hero
Is a hero the one who decides to stand up when everyone else is only thinking about it? Is a hero the one who retains integrity rather than give in to the world's everyday temptations? Is a hero the picture of courage, or an example of morals? These are the questions that arise after reading the epic story of Beowulf by an anonymous author, and the romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, also written by an anonymous author. The stories describe two very different heroes. Beowulf was undoubtedly a hero, but as time advanced and the world became more complicated, what constituted a hero became more shady; therefore, while he is not anything like Beowulf, Sir Gawain is also in fact a true hero.
Beowulf …show more content…
In an epic, the dominating idea is that a hero is a savior of his people. Beowulf is the perfect example. He arrives from a far off land with one purpose, to defeat a monster. An epic story focuses on necessities of life, and keeps the characters' purpose simple. An epic hero would be described as loyal, honorable, and courageous; he fights because he must and never looks back, with full knowledge of his mortality, because the survival of his people depend on it. Beowulf does not expect to return from the battle with the dragon but he enters the battle. "Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong, and with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast, strode calmly, confidently, toward the tower, under the rocky cliffs: No coward could have walked there!" His loyalty and courage are what set him apart from someone who merely can kill a …show more content…
Beowulf was probably written around 400 A. D. when the main idea was survival of the fittest. The monsters Beowulf fought were actual monsters, but there was an everyday battle against plague and disease, hunger, and thieves who will stop at nothing to take everything they own away from them while they sleep at night. Just the way Grendel stalked and killed by night. The story paralleled the Anglo-Saxon's everyday life. They would have never been able to relate to Sir Gawain and his struggles
Is a hero the one who decides to stand up when everyone else is only thinking about it? Is a hero the one who retains integrity rather than give in to the world's everyday temptations? Is a hero the picture of courage, or an example of morals? These are the questions that arise after reading the epic story of Beowulf by an anonymous author, and the romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, also written by an anonymous author. The stories describe two very different heroes. Beowulf was undoubtedly a hero, but as time advanced and the world became more complicated, what constituted a hero became more shady; therefore, while he is not anything like Beowulf, Sir Gawain is also in fact a true hero.
Beowulf …show more content…
In an epic, the dominating idea is that a hero is a savior of his people. Beowulf is the perfect example. He arrives from a far off land with one purpose, to defeat a monster. An epic story focuses on necessities of life, and keeps the characters' purpose simple. An epic hero would be described as loyal, honorable, and courageous; he fights because he must and never looks back, with full knowledge of his mortality, because the survival of his people depend on it. Beowulf does not expect to return from the battle with the dragon but he enters the battle. "Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong, and with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast, strode calmly, confidently, toward the tower, under the rocky cliffs: No coward could have walked there!" His loyalty and courage are what set him apart from someone who merely can kill a …show more content…
Beowulf was probably written around 400 A. D. when the main idea was survival of the fittest. The monsters Beowulf fought were actual monsters, but there was an everyday battle against plague and disease, hunger, and thieves who will stop at nothing to take everything they own away from them while they sleep at night. Just the way Grendel stalked and killed by night. The story paralleled the Anglo-Saxon's everyday life. They would have never been able to relate to Sir Gawain and his struggles