Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain

683 Words2 Pages

The poems of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the green knight are two of the most remembered translated pieces known to British literature. Being the most influential warriors of their time, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are very similar yet have many differences. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are very similar characters. Besides the fact that they are legendary, both Beowulf and Sir Gawain are endowed with commitment, honor and adventurousness, which bring them on an unforgettable journey. They both are honorable and trustworthy individuals. Beowulf did not have to help Hrothgar, but decided to help him to honorable his father’s friendship with him. Lines 372- 376 “ I used to know him when he was a young boy. His father before him was called Ecgtheow.
Hrethel the Geat gave Ecgtheow …show more content…

Beowulf has been passed down from generation to generation for the past twelve hundred years; and no matter the way it was shared, Beowulf is always the hero. The poem talks about Beowulf’s journey to defeat not one, but three different attackers to protect and defend the people he loves and guides. It is not certain whether Beowulf is a Christian or Pagan, but there are times at which both religions are touched upon. Although Beowulf proves he does not rely on God, but believes it is fate that has gotten him this far. On lines 572-573, he said, “Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked.” showing his pagan beliefs. Another reason to believe that Beowulf is pagan is the ship burial; it was a way to show status of a highly ranked person. Ship burials, formally known as Norse funerals is a common pagan practice of the northern Germanics. Unlike Beowulf, the chivalric knight, Sir Gawain, is undoubtedly a Christian providing many examples to this belief. Continuously throughout the poem, Sir Gawain turns his head to God in times of need. A perfect example can be found on lines 736-739 where he

Show More
Related

  • Internal Conflicts In Beowulf

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    Grendel represents Paganism. The killing of Grendel and his mother, represents the ending of Paganism and the beginning of Christianity. The cause of Beowulf’s pride and self-centered personality may come from the belief in the afterlife. Literary critic, Alfred Bammesberger supports this claim by stating, “The poem focuses on the royal glory… on the heroic achievements of Beowulf” (Bammesberger). All glory would carry over into the afterlife, meaning that the deeds that he performs will follow him into the afterlife. All the conflicts come back to those beliefs. In addition, Beowulf displays characteristics of pure pride, as well as carelessness, while battling the external conflicts which leads to his death. To conclude, “Beowulf” has many distinct conflicts and even more hidden meanings and

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    When referring to archaic writing, it is clear to see the recurring archetypes and symbols throughout plots and situations. Understandably, certain patterns involving such motifs have continued through centuries, resulting in various works based around the same monomythic template with slight variations. All the big movie titles we love, Aladdin, Shrek, even, Sharknado contain more than traces of these archetypal patterns, consisting of a hero, a mentor, a dark figure and so on. Prime examples of this archetypal plot structure, with their own unique adaptations, may be found within the two poetic narratives Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Aside from their completely disparate backgrounds and morals, both works include and follow the monomythic journey, as perceived by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces, as well as in the secondary works of others who have helped to further our understanding of this analytical method. This generalization, however, is shifted when one dissects further into these two pieces of literature. As in the majority of monomythic quest narratives, the protagonist often practices and displays the characteristics of courage, loyalty, humility

    Read More

  • The Hero Archetype: Beowulf and Sir Gawain

    1865 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...e the quarrels, the hatreds, the feuds,/ That will bring us battles, force us into war/ With the Swedes, as soon as they’ve learned how our lord/ Is dead” (Beowulf 2999-3002). That quote shows that Beowulf lived in a war-torn country and therefore his strength and ability to protect his people made him a revered hero. Sir Gawain, on the other hand, lived in a time when inner qualities were valued. The valuing of inner qualities along with Sir Gawain’s exceptional traits made him a hero. That being said, although Beowulf and Sir Gawain differ in some aspects, they both fit the hero archetype of being better than the ordinary man, proving oneself many times, and having a tragic flaw.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Hero And Beowulf

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is hero? A hero, under the Merriam-Webster definition, is a person who is admired for brave/great acts or fine qualities. This is a very broad definition that combines both ancient and modern belief of what --or who-- a hero should be. Beowulf is an epic poem that focuses on an Anglo-Saxon hero. As such he embodies the traits that his culture valued most. Deadpool, on the other hand, portrays the most recent ideas of what traits a hero should embody. With these examples from contrasting periods, we are still able to see similarities and differences that shows how modern and Anglo-Saxon idea of heroism reflects its culture.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Hero in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Essay On Beowulf

    533 Words  | 2 Pages

    Do people ever talk about superheroes, and monsters? Especially people into comic books and children. Every child, even adults, have a superhero they look up to, or a role model they want to grow up to be like. Superheroes are everywhere from movies to books. Children even sit in their room playing with toy superheroes, hoping one day they can be just like them. Even hundreds of thousands of years ago there were superheroes! A long time ago in the Anglo-Saxon Period there was a brave and loyal hero! His name was Beowulf, and everyone looked up to him. This hero definitely brought peace to many people, and if it wasn’t for the mighty hero Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxons would have been terrorized forever. Therefore, the times were hard before Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon warriors always stood for three values, and the time was changed without monsters.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Compare And Contrast

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are numerous similitudes and contrasts between Beowulf the motion picture which was made in the year 2007, and the poem by an obscure Angelo Saxon poet. A large portion of the likenesses and contrasts are clear. The poem was changed into a motion picture and was more advanced and simpler to see then the epic poem itself. The movie happens to be more modern and gives the audience a better understanding of Beowulf and what happened during his life. It also helps the audience visualize it rather than having to picture the occurences while reading the poem.

    Read More

  • Fear in Beowulf

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scholars have argued about the religious stance of the epic poem Beowulf for centuries. Although the man who put the poem down on paper, known as the Beowulf poet, was a devout Christian, the actual poem itself is pagan. There are many clues in the epic that lead us to this conclusion such as the numerous references to pagan symbols, namely the symbol of fate. Also, the central idea of revenge in the poem opposes the ideas of Christianity. The poem also contains many breaches of the Ten Commandments, which prove that the story is not Christian. However, the biggest clue to the paganism of Beowulf is the scene that contains the burial of Beowulf and the building and idolization of the tower, all of which go directly against the Christian religion.

    Read More

  • Epic Heroes: Sir Gawain and Beowulf

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both of these poems tell about two different stories and many different people in those stories, but that does not make the characters any different. Beowulf and Sir Gawain proved their courage by either clashing with a monster or choosing a deadly game. They both also showed their desire to help and save the people they care about by battling the supernatural. Despite the different journeys that Beowulf and Sir Gawain went on and the people they meet both characters share courage, the desire to save the people they love, and conquering the supernatural which are the qualities that make them an epic hero.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Beowulf As A Modern Hero

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beowulf represents what a modern hero truly is rather than Dante the pilgrim, because he displays qualities of courage, pride, and humility. In order to be considered a modern hero the individual must demonstrate these particular qualities, and courage, pride, and humility should be reflected in the actions they make.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain vs Beowulf

    2062 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Beowulf: The Selfless Hero

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf is an epic poem that describes the heroics of a man with superhuman strength and bravery to go with it. The poem starts with a journey across the sea to defeat an enemy that has plagued the land of Herot for twelve years. The poem ends with Beowulf’s final deed of defeating a dragon that was plaguing his own land, but with the defeat of the dragon also comes the death of Beowulf. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem of bravery by one of King Arthur’s knights. Sir Gawain takes up the deed of playing a Christmas game with the challenging Green Knight. The Green Knight takes a blow from an ax at the hand of Sir Gawain, and in one year and one day, the Green Knight is to reciprocate the action to Sir Gawain. While Sir Gawain was heroic in his deed, Beowulf shows a certain selflessness in his bouts makes him a better hero than Sir Gawain.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Beowulf and Sir Gawain

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf and Gawain are shown as great leaders. Sir Gawain is liked by most people he has met. Beowulf has many loyal followers by his side. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both brave and loyal. They attempt to honor their kings and kingdoms. Those are all qualities of a hero.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Analysis

    1838 Words  | 4 Pages

    Beowulf on the contrary adheres to the code of heroism, which is much less stringent on man's actions, and much more open to interpretation. Gawain's actions reflect the social mores of 14th century England, where a good knight was expected to adhere firmly to the code of chivalry. Gawain is the model knight, gallant and valorous, not to mention a devout Christian. Gawain's superb character traits are bolstered by his status as a member of King Arthur's court. The Gawain poet writes of Camelot: "With all delights on earth they housed there together, /

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur as Heroes

    1082 Words  | 3 Pages

    The three heroes discussed here, Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur, are heroes for different reasons. Beowulf, our earliest hero, is brave but his motivation is different than then other two. To Sir Gawain personal honor and valor is what is important. King Arthur, Sir Gawain's uncle, is naturally the quintessential king of the medieval period. Though all men to a certain extent share the same qualities, some are more pronounced than in the others. It is important to see how these qualities are central to their respective stories and how it helps (or hinders) them in their journeys.

    Read More

More about Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain

Open Document