The Heroes Of Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight...

As kids we grow up watching superhero movies and books that teach us moral lessons for when we grow up and participate in society. Although we do not know it at the time, these stories help to put cultural beliefs and lessons in our minds so we grow up to follow these sets of standards. This is not a recent phenomenon, however, as it has been happening for centuries on end. For example, during the Anglo-Saxon Period and the Late Middle Ages, there were stories that portrayed their societal beliefs and morals through the same Monomythic framework that even our modern stories possess, as suggested by Joseph Campbell in his monumental work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Such narrative poems as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight represent what the Anglo-Saxons and the Middle English saw as both acceptable and non-acceptable demeanor. Both works possess the same values and beliefs while others, distinctly oppose, something that can be clearly observed through the careful arch etypal study of the heroes of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In Beowulf, the hero first embarks on his journey when he goes to the land of the Danes to assist in defeating Grendel. He does so in wishing that he can gain fame and honor for himself. Being â€Å"high-born and powerful† (I.198.14), he was said to be the mightiest man on earth and comes to offer his â€Å"wholehearted help and counsel.† (I.278.21). Here the reader can start to distinguish that the hero first comes and statesShow MoreRelatedMain Ideas and Themes of Beowulf Essay1138 Words   |  5 Pages Beowulf and Sir Gawain have many things in common. We will be discussing them later on, but their main similarity is that theyre both heroes. A hero is a person who must pass through a test and a battle (mental, spiritual or physical) to help someone else. He must be selfless, and act for others rather than himself. All societies have supported heroes, like the ancient Greeks Hercules and the modern day Spiderman. These are hero stereotypes, with supernatural Read MoreLiterary Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1200 Words   |  5 Pagesthrough the depiction of the heroes’ experiences on their journeys and the knowledge they gain by the quest’s end. For example, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance written in the Late Middle Ages, Gawain epitomizes a knight with the characteristics that knights from the Late Middle Ages were expected to possess according to the requirements outlined in the rules of chivalry, such as honor and valor. Likewise, Beowulf, the hero of the folk epic Beowulf, embodies the qualities ofRead MoreThe Cultural Values And The Archetypal Patterns Of The Novel Hero With A Thousand Faces 1331 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout the world of literature, heroes or protagonists are often characters created by culture. Through these characters, we discover the faults and the virtuous qualities that this time period had to offer. As the heroes make their way through the journey, t he reader learns the culture through the character’s actions and mistakes. For instance, in the early Middle Ages, women were seen as inferior and were not put on a pedestal, unlike their deception during the Late Middle Ages after theRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 Pages Heroic stories in English literature have unmatched fame because of the traits that the heroes exude. Both Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. Many of the basic principles that describe heroes in Medieval Literature are seen in both of these characters even though they were written in different times. There are distinct similaritiesRead MoreCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight761 Words   |  4 Pages Epic Heroes Across Medieval Culture In the literary works Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an admirable warrior and knight are depicted. Although Sir Gawain and Beowulf both possess such characteristics as bravery and strength, readers can observe differences in other traits that make them heroes of their own time that is attributable to the societal mindset in which the poems were written. The goal of this essay is to compare and contrast how Beowulf, which was written in the earlyRead MoreThe Journies of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay803 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf vs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In the worlds of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the journeys of two heroes, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, are depicted through the form of poems. The two stories have become two of the most important works of literature in the English history. In the two poems, both Beowulf and Sir Gawain face great challenges in their journeys as heroes. Beowulf embarks on a quest to defeat Grendel and his mother while Sir Gawain faces many difficulties on hisRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Beowulf and Sir Gawain794 Words   |  4 Pagesof Beowulf and Sir Gawain A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect. Beowulf and Gawain areRead MoreCompare And Contrast Sir Gawain And Beowulf930 Words   |  4 Pagesones that we consider to be the heroes. These â€Å"heroes† are defined as such for being something such as brave, noble, or selfless in the eyes of the people that are around them. All heroes have done something that has helped out for the good of another person, even if they are doing it for their own personal benefit. Heroes are those who have the strength and courage to solve a problem when it could or was not done by anyone else. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are heroes in literature who have done somethingRead MoreBeowulf and Sir Gawain: a Comparison of Two Heroes Essay1066 Words   |  5 PagesIn Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight there are two heroes that help the present day reader gain insight into what the hero of the Middle Ages would have held as ideals and necessary triumphs. Beowulf and Sir Gawain each fill a different role within their unique societies. B eowulf is a leader and a savior in times of need, willing to go to any length to help another group of people as well as his own kingdom. Sir Gawain is also willing to rise during moments of trouble within his courtRead MoreCompare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain1358 Words   |  6 PagesBeowulf and Sir Gawain are both heroes, one is a warrior who becomes a King and the other a Knight in King Arthur’s Court. Beowulf takes place in 6th century Denmark and Sweden, it was written during the Anglo-Saxon Literary Time Period. Beowulf’s journey takes place over many years. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian romance believed to have been written in the late fourteenth century by an anonymous author (Baker). Sir Gawain’s journey takes place over one year’s time, from Christmas