Beowulf and Parzival's journey's began on the same path, each fatherless, they strove to search out what they saw as adventure. They jumped to whet their desires for the unknown and the chance to be a hero. A young Beowulf, we learn, challenges a peer to a match of strength. Unferth tells this tale of "when for pride the pair of [them] proved the seas and for a trite boast entrusted [their] lives to the deep waters, undissuadable by effort of friend or foe whatsoever from that swimming on the sea,"(Beowulf,65). Beowul

Another example of Parzival's naivete in the realm of knighthood, is his failure to ask the Gral King what is ailing him. This failure proves to be Parzival's biggest mistake throughout the entire tale. He must spend the rest of his young life repenting for his dishonor to the king. Through this repentance he learns and matures. We never truly see this growth in Beowulf.

Unlike Beowulf, Parzival was actually hidden from all opportunities of adventure by his mother. She fled to a place where she believed she could escape all traces of knighthood, which she believed to be evil. She was not successful though, and as soon as Parzival laid his eyes on the god-like knight, he made up his mind to leave his mother and all that he knew to seek adventure. The absence of her son drove her to an early grave. This action is one that Parzival was later deemed "unhonorable" for and one he deeply regretted.

A great example of Parzival's ignorance is his tendency at a young age to take everything literally. When entering the Gral castle, which is where his greatest dishonor occurs, he is greeted by squires who try to help him dismount and remove his armor. Parzival proclaims, when asked to dismount, "It was a king who commanded me to be a knight," and refuses to get down off the horse (Parzival,92). Parzival takes the definition of knight literally. A knight's literal definition is "rider", so because of his naivete, Parzival would not dismount. He took the term Knight to be literal, and did not want to dishonor himself be getting off the horse. He completely ignored the common reference to knighthood and made a fool of himself.

f's stubborn pride lead him even at a young age to challenge what may have seemed beyond his reach for glory. Later on, Beowulf hearing the horrific tales of the monster Grendel that had been reeking havoc at Heorot, abruptly left his homeland to prove his gallantry. "The wiser sought to dissuade him from voyaging hardly or not at all," but the strong-headed Beowulf refused to listen to reason.

The reader sees a natural progression in Parzival's behavior. As the tale continues, the adjectives to describe him evolve from naive and ignorant, to strong, valiant, and brave. He states, "may I forever be disgraced in this life and my fame brought to naught; and that these words are fact let my prosperity stand surely in the eyes of Him Whose hand is highest...and let me be mocked and damned in this life...I was a young fool-no man-not yet grown to years of discretion."(pg 141). Through his travels he grows to become chivalrous and honorable.

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Approximate Word count = 1773
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)