Beowulf/Sir Gawain Comparison Essay, Research Paper
Expository Writing Assignment
Comparison / Contrast
Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Both the Anglo Saxon heroic poem verse form Beowulf, and the verse form Sir Gawain and the Green Knight describe a epic ideal proved in the conflict. The first, Beowulf, is dated back every bit far as the eighth century ad. Sir Gawain and the Green knight was created five centuries subsequently, in fourteenth Century, when the Alliterative resurgence in English literature turned back to the ideals and literary signifiers of Anglo Saxon poems. Sir Gawain and the Green knight is really much alike Beowulf in the verse signifier and narrative manner, it has similar struggle and it besides celebrates the triumph of fearless and brave heroes. But despite all similarities of these two literary chef-d’oeuvres, they are different. Time changes ideals. Different clip periods and societies have different ideals and values, and these two verse forms serve as a perfect illustration of this fact.
The heroic poem of Beowulf is the highest accomplishment of Old English literature that inherits the Germanic heroic tradition. Like most European fables of that clip it confronts its hero, Beowulf, with immorality. The immorality is represented in a verse form by a supernatural animal, Grendel. Beowulf comes from a land far off to deliver a civilisation from this menace. Beowulf is of baronial birth ; he is loyal to his people and his male monarch, My people have said that my responsibility was to travel to the Danes Great male monarch, ( Jovanovich B. , p.15, 150 ) . He is unafraid in protecting his people and the whole universe as mighty defender of work forces ( Jovanovich B. , p.19, 310 ) . Beowulf is a true truster in destiny, he says that God must make up one’s mind Who will be given to decease s cold clasp ( Jovanovich B. , p.15, 174 ) , but he relies on his strength and the ideal he fights for, excessively. Beowulf knows that Grendel is non afraid of any arms and he is ready to confront the challenge barehanded. my custodies Entirely shall contend for me, battle for life Against the monster ( Jovanovich B. , p.15, 172 ) . Beowulf s strength is exaggerated in the description of his conflict with Grendel, but the conflict itself grows to a planetary graduated table. His triumph is a triumph of a superhero over the immorality on Earth. He is proud of his effort the Danes Had been served as he d boasted he d function them ( Jovanovich B. , p.19, 348 ) . Beowulf is a existent hero of his clip the warrior, bold and strong-willed ( Jovanovich B. , p.19, 345 ) , holding no clemency to the enemy, no sorrow for enemy s agonies, glorious master, worth to govern over work forces ( Jovanovich B. , p.20, 380 ) . He absolutely represents Anglo-saxon ideals of baronial behavior, such as courage and love of glorification, commitment to male monarch and Godhead, and belief in the inevitableness of destiny.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the English medieval love affairs, observing gallantry and the knightly virtues hello
gh ideals of the clip of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This was a clip when differences were settled by ordeals. The chief struggle in the verse form is an ordeal, that is the personal combat between two knights. The hero, Sir Gawain, is King Arthur s cousin and one of the Knights of the Round Table. He takes an award to confront the challenge of the Green Knight, who calls Arthur s knights boasting self-praises and large words, conking with fright, when no battle is offered. The Green Knight is non a supernatural animal ( even though some antic elements are present, which is natural for romantic verse form ) . Confrontation that Sir Gawain accepts is human-to-human ordeal to turn out that accusals are false. The preparedness to take an ordeal proves his bravery, and his blow shows his tremendous strength. But his bravery and knightly awards are extremely confirmed largely by maintaining his word to the Green Knight. Sir Gawain makes a hard journey to maintain his religion and accept the return blow. He knows that he came to confront his day of reckoning and nevertheless arrives. He says, By Christ, it s Satan who struck me with this meeting, I feel it! He s sent me here to destruct me ( Jovanovich B. , p89, 34 35 ) . Sir Gawain is non perfect and he commits certain actions that are natural for human, but improper for a knight to take. He does non populate up to the outlooks in gallantry when the lady convinces him to have on her girdle as confidence he will be as if by magic protected from immorality. When the Green Knight swings his axe first clip, Sir Gawain, who tries to be the ideal, can non assist but squinch from the swing of the arm. He tried to look Fearless, but his articulatio genuss Were weak ( Jovanovich B. , P 91, 98 – 100 ) , seeing the blade whistling through the air he pulled his shoulders back, merely a spot. ( Jovanovich B. , P 92, 108 ) . Furthermore, along with the menace of decease, he has to defy the Green Knight s twits. Sir Gawain challenges him in response, Possibly you are frightened yourself with these menaces? ( Jovanovich B. , p.92, 142 ) . He is every bit gracious as brave: when the border of the ax snipped his tegument, he is ready to contend, but foremost he politely speaks to his enemy. In any state of affairs Sir Gawain remains an model warrior, approved by the Green Knight as holding existent bravery, award, and moral pureness.
Two heroes Beowulf and Sir Gawain are heroes of their clip. Both are honest, brave, strong leaders, but Sir Gawain is much more civilised, sensitive and gracious. He represents moral regulations that merely did non be at the clip of Beowulf, when the strength was a primary demand for a warrior. Their similarities are based largely on the physical features, but all the differences are caused by different ideals of their clip. It is apparent, that ideals of the society prevail in the behavior of the people in any ordeals, and the ideals of the clip make the hero who he is.
342
