Sir Gawain And Beowulf Comparison Essay

The author’s intention within literature is to directs the reader to make specific judgements and form particular meanings, to either divert attention towards or away a specific event, a characters personality or motives (Tierney 2). In narrative, particularly those of the medieval era focused on heroic figures of bravery, boldness, honesty, defeating evil and teaching correct moral and behavioural aspects displayed by the character , to the reader (Walker 112). Both Gawain and the green knight and Beowulf use the so-called heroes within their stories to challenge the reader’s interpretation of what it means to be a hero and fail as one (Walker 121) (Hume 15). Beowulf written during the 8th century, While Sir Gawain, written in the 14th century, supplies us with differing context about the view on heroes. In many pieces of literature, the reader assumes that’s an author has a particular open or overt intention only to discover the author also having a hidden or covert intention motivating how the reader is directed as the narrative progresses (Gibb 34). The heroes in their respective text preform heroic and unheroic deeds, the texts depict alternate views of the hero and the moral decisions made by them also (Hollis 267). Both Beowulf and Sir Gawain throughout their respective text encounter hardships involving behaving appropriately and abide to the values that they live by (Georgianna 847). Much like the challenges the heroes face in the stories, the reader also faces similar moral challenges when making assumptions about whether the hero’s actions are honourable or not, developing a multidimensional tale where your understanding and acceptance of the heroic and unheroic.

The Old English text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...

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...him, prompting the reader to comprehend that Gawain himself has a higher expectancy of himself than the principles of Christianity, observing sins as inevitable within humanity (Weiss 118). Learning that Gawain himself is an imperfect individual, susceptible to failure also, directing the readers original perspective of the heroic Gawain and to evaluate whether he has failed as a hero.

Due to contextual differences between the two old English texts, both Gawain and Beowulf are placed under quiet differing circumstances to determine their worth as heroes. Gawain undergoing more moral and behavioural trails of knighthood, while Beowulf through physical challenges to prove he is a worthy hero. The reader’s understanding of the hero and failure to be heroic is constantly challenged and redirected by both these text to suggesting there is no such thing as a true hero.