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A knight’s word is a powerful thing because knights are sworn into their positions and often opt for death over disgrace. Pride and honor along with respect and reputation are some of a knight’s main ethics and a knight must be a gentleman with a valued inner worth. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, Sir Gawain’s inner worth is tested by The Green Knight by playing Knightly games. Each game represents certain virtues in life and gives ambiguous interpretations of how one should morally act in order to remain close with his ethics.…
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Next, Wiglaf and Sir Gawain experience a test that cause’s character growth. Wiglaf supports Beowulf during his last battle. Beowulf rewards Wiglaf when he “Gave him his gold-covered helmet, and his ring” (64). Beowulf knows he can rely on Wiglaf to lead the Danes. Sir Gawain shows character growth at the end of the story “Sir Gawain indeed stands out above all other knights” (238). He was once the weakest knight and after his test he became a strong loyal knight. At the end of “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Wiglaf and Sir Gawain became Dynamic characters.…
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Beowulf is more like a modern hero in society due to his ability to put others before himself. The whole reason he fought was to protect others. He killed Grendel and his mother to protect the Anglo-Saxons. () He also does not accept fate which is one of the main qualities in heroes today. Beowulf is even tempered; he does not change his mind repeatedly. () He is also willing to sacrifice his men to protect the people. He knows the importance of sacrificing one instead of losing multiple incent lives. () Compared to modern society heroes, Beowulf is the most…
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Beowulf is more noble than Grendel or Unferth because he displays courage through offering to put his life on the line to save Herot, He displays honor through his willingness to drop everything to come defeat Grendel, and Industrious by bringing a swift demise to Grendel. Honor was a trait that a good viking warrior could not live without. To a viking honor meant staying true to yourself and your beliefs. Beowulf is a firm believer in the concept of killing monsters.…
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Beowulf was significantly glorified all through the book; even when he died his men mourned his loss, built him a tower, and buried the entirety of his treasures underneath it. The Geats and the Danes knew a hero of Beowulf’s status would never again come to pass. Beowulf had amazing leadership; he would never lead anyone where he would not go, and his men glorified him of that. He had superior strength, intelligence and courage. Beowulf’s strength could not be contested, as he was able to kill Grendel bare handed and rip a sword off a wall that only giants used. Under no conditions could an ordinary man achieve such a feat. Beowulf could swim for hours and fight monsters in the raging sea. Even at old age, Beowulf took on the battle of slaying the dragon. Beowulf was undeniably a strong and responsible leader. He prepared for the future of his warriors when he reached his eventual demise. His men, mourning his loss, wept, knowing a man of Beowulf’s strength and leadership would never come again.…
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One of the major differences between Beowulf and Gawain is their personalities. Beowulf is very arrogant in “Beowulf”. So arrogant, that he “renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield” so he could fight “hand-to-hand” with the demon Grendel (“Beowulf” lines 436-438). This shows that Beowulf was so arrogant that he fought a demon…
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Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight where written during different time periods. The different time periods not only show a change of writing, but a change how certain characters were portrayed. Even though Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both heroes of their story, they are very different in the way that they are heroic.…
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Both men have fights they have won, but Sir Gawain has fears that he overcame to keep his promise. Beowulf's story comes across like a children's tale with a cliché hero. Sir Gawain's actions, words, and honor have made him a greater hero than Beowulf could ever have tried to…
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What makes Beowulf so dishonest? To start with Beowulf was sent to the land to kill Hrothgar’s evil son Grendel. But Beowulf was so caught up in trying to be “heroic”, he started lying to Hrothgar’s soldiers and how he slayed 39 sea monsters! Batman never lied to the people on his conquers, but Batman never backs down from the bad guys. Heroes can be brave, courageous, and bold, but true heroism is best defined with bravery, courage, strength, and also with a little bit of risk taking.…
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During the Anglo-Saxon period, heroes were often depicted as courageous, smart, and powerful warriors who fought for glory and honor. On his journey to find the Green Knight, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by the Gawain Poet, Sir Gawain decided to lie in order to save his life. Be that as it may, Sir Gawain still feels remorseful about his mistake and proved to the Green Knight that he is a worthy knight and a hero. However, as time goes on and people evolve, ideals can change also. People living during the Anglo-Saxon period could have a different interpretation of a hero in comparison to the interpretations of modern day citizens. Sir Gawain may have had his faults, nevertheless, his bravery and integrity would have made him a hero in…
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During the Anglo-Saxon era, heroism played a crucial role. Society was based on a heroic code that expected individuals to exhibit attributes of a honorable warrior. The heroic code implied a set of principles, which emphasized on the valour of an individual. An hero must possess traits such as: immense courage, loyalty, and willingness to sacrifice themselves to save their people. In “ Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” and “ Beowulf,” there are many similarities as well as differences between the heroic figures. Sir Gawain and Beowulf define and set the standard for the Anglo-Saxon heroes because of their heroic traits. They are strong, brave, and loyal.…
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The first characteristic of an ideal epic hero is courage and bravery and this is because it not only is hard to come by, but these heroes possess just the right amount. Although Beowulf and Sir Gawain are taking on two different tasks, they both have an ultimate goal of earning the honor of their kings and their countries. It is easy to be arrogant and have too much pride when you are trying to gain honor and respect, but Beowulf and Sir Gawain do what they do with dignity and deference. “He leaned/Forward: ‘Hear me,/ My lord. Let this challenge be mine…” (Raffel 340-342) Although at one point, the seemingly inevitable loss of his life becomes too hard to bear, Sir Gawain hides his distress and takes a challenge – ultimately leading him toward defeat. Even with the littlest bit of doubt and the tiny undermining detail that he does not have much experience, he does not let anything get in his way and he willingly pulls through. Beowulf, on the other hand, does however have experience and yet again, he accepts his challenge as he always does. “Beowulf got ready; donned his war-gear, indifferent to death, his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail would soon meet with the menace under water” (Heaney 1442). Beowulf and Sir Gawain bury their fear and accept the challenges bestowed upon them, no matter having had experience or not.…
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In both “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, the reader meets a main character who is also a heroic figure. They are both skilled with intellectual, physical, and mental powers that prepare them for the journey and battles each will have to endure. In lines 439-440 (page 50), "… I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend.” This quote gives a good idea of Beowulf’s strength since he is confident in fighting without weapons. We get a glimpse of Sir Gawain’s loyalty, which helps him the most on his…
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To begin with, Beowulf feels that he has a responsibility. He hears about Grendel and how he is terrorizing the citizens of Herot. He thinks that it is his responsibility to help the people and the king also. This is proven to be true in…
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Everyone in the world knew of Beowulf and respected him. He was the brave hero who wouldn’t let anything stand in his way. King Hrothgar respects Beowulf because he came from Sweden to fight off the monster that was haunting them. Not only did he kill Grendel but he also killed his mother. After that all the Danes respected him. He was even crowned king and ruled for 50 years. Wiglaf also respects Beowulf, he spoke to him before joining him to fight the dragon, “Your deeds are famous, so stay resolute, my lord, defend your life now with the whole of your strength. I shall stand by you.” (Lines 2666-68) By the time Wiglaf joined Beowulf in the fight against the dragon Beowulf was already weak. Wiglaf respects Beowulf because he joined him knowing the dangers he was going to face fighting the terrifying dragon. Respect is not the only heroic characteristic Beowulf…
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