Sir Gawain and the Green Night vs. 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 is a hero. That is an undeniable fact. His heroic image stands out notably because Beowulf is what could be called an active hero while Sir Gawain plays the part of a passive hero, but still a hero nonetheless. Beowulf has one duty: he must fight and win. If he succeeds, he is a hero; if he fails he is simply a failure (except when he fails at defeating the dragon because he has already proved himself and goes with honor, which is different from initially failing). In the last lines of the sto
ry the author clearly acknowledges Beowulf's overall triumph, "Telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name." Is Beowulf a hero? It is without a doubt. Is Sir Gawain also a hero? He is, just as much as Beowulf. Everything Beowulf was for his time, Sir Gawain was the same for his. This may at first seem impossible but after exploring their purposes it is easily noted as factual. Today society looks to the wealthy, famous, and influencing minds of the present to fix its never-ending dilemmas of poverty, violence, and hate. They both understood glory and at the same time, defeat. Sir Gawain says this best with the following; "In destines sad or merry, True men can but try." Sir Gawain's time was by far less threatening. King Arthur was in charge, and every day seemed to be like one right out of a fairy tale. They ignored and forgot monsters, dragons, or plagues; there were only noble men, and great feasts. With no obvious threat on Camelot, King Arthur's knights surely had to find some alternative way to prove their chivalry. The romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight illustrates Sir Gawain doing just this, and he does it quite well. Sir Gawain on the other hand is deemed a hero but seems to lack something that Beowulf simply does not. This is because he is a passive hero. Sir Gawain appears to be incapable and thoughtless at first, but he slowly proves himself by his subtle actions. Sir Gawain represents loyalty along with an unclear pur
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Approximate Word count = 1049
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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