Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written by an anonymous writer and then translated by Marie Borroff. The poetic story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a Romance Mythos story. The tale from the Middle Ages is a Romance Mythos story because it consists of a hero (with a flaw), a quest, and a final showdown (that ends with the recognition of the hero) which are key ingredients of a Romance Mythos story. And the use of the literary techniques symbol, metaphor and irony by the anonymous writer helps readers understand the message of the story. The story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight consists of a hero named Gawain.
Beowulf is defined as a hero by his bravery to set out and defeat a monster that has been invincible to Hrothgar’s men. He was well respected because his confidence was evident as he trusted his destiny to fate. Fate is a reoccurring theme in heroism; it is a supernatural aspect that allows a hero to conquer a quest fearlessly. Beowulf fought Grendel without weapons and was sure his strength, experience, and belief in fate would allow him to triumph over the antagonist that terrorized Herot Hall. His dependence on fate benefitted him as he defeated both Grendel and Grendel’s mother.
Beowulf was intelligent in the way that he led his followers without letting fear get the best of him; strongly believing life was in the hands of fate as he went beyond all limitations, during battle, to achieve great honor and valor. Always not knowing what to expect, Beowulf demonstrated his great intelligence and confidence reiterating that “If weapons were useless he’d use his hands, the strength in his fingers (609-610).” Beowulf embodies quintessential characterizes of an Anglo-Saxon hero. He possesses unfaltering loyalty to his king and followers, strength as he is able to defeat each of his rivals, and courage though he is motivated primarily by his own perception of fate. Along with obtaining all the virtues of an Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf achieves his desire for immortality. He shows even after fifty-five years as king he never looses his ambition to protect his people and reinstate his title as the strongest and most honored
Often times in literature, characters are exposed more for the sins they commit, than the heroic deeds they perform, or for their achievements. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the main character Gawain, although a very modest, but courageous character for accepting a terrifying challenge from the mysterious Green Knight, his bravery is soon forgotten as the poem goes on. Through symbolism and nature, the reader is provided that Sir Gawain, although has had faults, he is still seen as a hero. In the beginning of the poem, during a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s court, a mysterious green knight interrupts the festivities, by proposing a challenge to the King or any other brave man, that he will allow whomever accept the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger seek him out in exactly in year at the Green Chapel to accept a blow in return. When the King does not accept the challenge right away, the
Beowulf and Arthur were both brave, had strength, helped the underprivileged, and had great leadership. They were both kings. They both risk themselves in battle for the greater good. They both strive for the respect from the people they protect and for love. They both show the characteristic of being fearless when faced with death.
He’s very courageous because he fights things that others wouldn’t even dream of. His loyalty to the people is matched only by his courage. His self-sacrifice personality strengthens the argument that he is a true hero. Throughout his life, Beowulf demonstrates courage, loyalty, and self-sacrifice by fighting monsters that would threaten his
In Anglo-Saxon culture and literature, to be a hero was to be a warrior. A hero must be loyal to give everything for the survival of people without thinking of him and willing to die to achieve glory. A hero must display courage in the face of overwhelming or impossible odds, he must have the strength to back up his courage. Beowulf was born as a hero and died as a hero. He is an excellent example of Anglo-Saxon hero because he posses the strength, courage and loyalty like a true Anglo-Saxon warrior.
Take what I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, help them” (lines 802-809). Beowulf embodies the values of a particular society and proves his tremendous power throughout the poem. He is brave, honest, inhumanly strong, and holds other’s lives in higher regards than his own. He is an archetypal hero for showing no fear in facing creatures that seemed to be from hell, to bring peace and safety to others. He believed this life of war and glory to be his calling.
But, he died a hero so he had no regrets. The fact that Beowulf feels such a great pull to have a good reputation, so much that he is willing to die for it, clearly proves this cultural value shaping his life. However, these two examples are need based fights—the villages needed a hero to save them from the monsters. Beowulf also tries to strengthen his reputation by challenging his friend to a swimming race. He is so influenced by the culture around him that he is willing to “risk his life for no reason but the danger” just so his reputation will get better (Raffel 39).
In Beowulf’s case, he loses his life in the battle with the dragon, but for Gawain he symbolically offers his life to the Green Knight to take, and only through the Knight’s generosity does he let Gawain live. Had Gawain been dishonest in giving him anything at the town, then he would have surely died, but because he was so virtuous (with the exception of the girdle), the Knight decides to spare him out of respect. The characters share similar characteristics as well, such as bravery and courage, along with a capacity to be personable and friendly to their fellow man. The hero’s journey is similar as well, with both men doing their deeds alone and without aid. Only in the last part of Beowulf’s tale does anybody come to his rescue, and this is after he has done most of the