Beowulf vs Sir Gawain
Beowulf and Sir Gawain are clearly honorable heroes, and the best warriors of their time. However, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are fundamentally different characters. Their differences in the text: Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are very acute. The two epics consider ideas of honor, success, bravery and heroism to. These ideas are exemplified by each in distinct fashions. Beowulf displays his bravery in all stages of the epic; he embodies the qualities of a perfect hero in addition to being the bravest of all men. Sir Gawain is presented as a noble knight, who embodies chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. However, both men share common Christian and pagan fundamentals. In each text, they are exposed to an event that require their actions, and as a result, shapes their characters. The highly influential world that both men inhabit plays a vital role in the two poems. Beowulf lives in a chaotic world, where the lives of all men are determined by fate. The dynamic of this society is rigidly centered upon the ideas of pagan customs. There is some minor emphasis on the elements of Christianity. The Anglo-Saxon society retains strong ties between warriors and kings. Ties were maintained by kings
While Sir Gawain battles the Green Knight in service to Arthur, Beowulf battles to achieve fame and glory. Unlike Sir Gawain, Beowulf would rather live a heroic life. He excels in strength and battles in the most courageous way, fighting with monsters alone unarmed. Beowulf is certainly not a modern hero, he boasts profusely and never seeks alternatives or doubts himself, instead Beowulf fearlessly plunges himself into every battle. Regardless of the monster, Beowulf fulfills his pagan ideals and his chivalrous code to maintain his reputation. However, with every victorious battle, Beowulf gains more pride, and tension develops between his heroic pride and his Christian values. We see the classic clash between good and evil in this poem. Beowulf exemplifies Christ while his enemies exemplify Satan. Beowulf acknowledges God as his guardian throughout the poem and the poet refers to Grendel as the "creature of evil, savage and cruel." Beowulf is an accumulation of both Christian and pagan values. At times Beowulf relies on Christian doctrines, but then leans towards pagan values. Beowulf is guided by good intentions, those of Christ. Yet he's also guided by greed and materialism. He's glorified as a warrior, but as a pagan warrior and not a Christian warrior. Beowulf relies on fate and seeks precious treasures. Obviously, his intent is on gaining more wealth and not the favor of God. The author of Beowulf illustrated Beowulf as a pagan, and incorporated Christian ideals to exemplify Beowulf's ties with Christianity. The roles of paganism and Christianity are clearly defined in this poem, it seems that paganism is not necessarily glorified, instead the roles of religion is left for the reader to interpret. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are two heroes immersed in very religious environments. Both poems contain similar religious themes and expresses different Christian perspectives. Beowulf, seeks the guidance of God during his deeds, but also relies on his pagan ideals when he deems so. Though Beowulf never completely takes advantage of God's powers, he does successfully win the fame that he fought so bravely for. The poem is tragic because Beowulf dies; furthermore, he dies at the m
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1490
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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