Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Comparison Essay

Unworldly characters such as beautiful fairy with her wise mind and magical wand, hideous monster craving for blood with its horrifying fangs, and mysterious elf luring children away from their parents often add a magical aroma to the stories. Readers are enthusiastic to learn how their heroes encounter with these marvelous creatures, whether receiving a powerful golden sword as gift or putting on a life or death fight for his loved ones. These unworldly characters help the readers to perceive the story in a more in-depth way; they make readers bringing up different question for their appearance, purpose, and the idea they symbolize. Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, two of the earliest great stories of English†¦show more content†¦At last, Grendel is confronted with Beowulf, who fights with great courage and strength, and Beowulf rises as a victor against the pure evilness and threat to society that Grendel represents. The next progression and the second stage of violence takes place when Grendel’s mother, the root of evil, comes for her son’s revenge. Unlike Grendel, who fights recklessly, Grendel’s mother possesses more sinister and darker qualities and attacks with a plan. She strikes when the country celebrates, takes King Hrothgar’s most beloved advisor, and lures Beowulf back to her cave, where she has a more advantage of winning. When she enters the story, readers are able to discover that this is not just another battle for Beowulf, but a continuous fight following the previous one as she represents the origin of evil. Grendel’s mother is by far more challenging and threatening than her offspring. The place that the monster inhabits is described with gruesome image; it is a swamp that â€Å"infested with all kinds of reptiles†¦writhing sea-dragons and monsters slouching on slopes†¦and serpents and wild things† (Heaney 99). It is in the epic battle against Grendel’s mother wh ere Beowulf finds a match to his great strength. Compare to the battle against Grendel, Beowulf takes down the monster with great efforts and finally slays her with a mighty sword that he finds by chance. The progression from the protagonist’s first battle to his second one has increased in difficulty andShow MoreRelated A Comparison of Perfection in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1077 Words   |  5 PagesPerfection in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The heroes of both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are fighters. However, the traits they have in common are far less numerous than those that set them apart. As each of the two is dubbed perfect by his contemporaries, it should be possible to draw the picture of both the model warrior and the paragon knight by comparing Beowulf and Gawain. The first question to arise is that of leadership. In Beowulf, the hero is referredRead MoreCompare and Contrast of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight600 Words   |  3 PagesCompare and Contrast of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the Anglo-Saxon time period where only a few privileged people were able to read and write while Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, which is also an epic poem, was written in the Middle English time period where reading and writing was more wide-spread. While both the epic poem Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have similar protagonists, the main character of each poem also hasRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Beowulf and Sir Gawain794 Words   |  4 PagesA Comparison of Beowulf and Sir Gawain A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect. Beowulf andRead MoreThe Cultural Values And The Archetypal Patterns Of The Novel Hero With A Thousand Faces 1331 Words   |  6 Pageslove. On that note, Sir Gawain and Beowulf both reflect the cultural values and the archetypal patterns found in Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces which are expressed throughout their communities. Even though some of the values such as valor and loyalty carried over from one time period to another, the two cultures experienced a paradigm shift from the way fighting was conducted all the way over to how women were seen and treated. Starting with the great Beowulf, a courageous man whoRead MoreBeowulf and Sir Gawain: a Comparison of Two Heroes Essay1066 Words   |  5 PagesIn Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight there are two heroes that help the present day reader gain insight into what the hero of the Middle Ages would have held as ideals and necessary triumphs. Beowulf and Sir Gawain each fill a different role within their unique societies. Beowulf is a leader and a savior in times of need, willing to go to any length to help another group of people as well as his own kingdom. Sir Gawain is also willing to rise during moments of trouble within his courtRead MorePaganism In Beowulf1683 Words   |  7 Pageswithin the epic poem Beowulf is the continuous, underlying theme of good versus evil – the shift from paganism to Christianity. Although this epic consists of the battle between the hero, Beowulf, and the monster, Grendel (and Grendel’s mother, as well), the main overture of t he story is that of the new Christian belief triumphing over evil and the old pagan beliefs. This value is but one of many that contrast the pagan and Christian principles in Anglo-Saxon and in Beowulf. The blending and cultivationRead MoreA Warrior And Knight s Clash With God877 Words   |  4 PagesA Warrior and Knight’s Clash with God As the world continues to turn, people’s ideologies and values change as the time wears on. In the novels, Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, show the stark contrast and minor similarities between the value of Christianity during the early and high middle ages. Analyzing how the role of God influenced each of the hero’s daily lives and what modern historians know about that role, provide a deeper understand. In the early middle ages, the ChristianRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf Essay499 Words   |  2 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf â€Å"My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth; And tis I have asked for this folly not fit for a King.† These are the words of a true hero. One who is willing to sacrifice his own existence for the life of another. These are the words and actions of Sir Gawain, a character from the beloved British tale, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Beowulf, another character from an ancient British epic entitled, Beowulf, is also portrayed as a â€Å"heroRead MoreSir Gawain And The Merchant Of Venice899 Words   |  4 Pagesconduct which are embraced by the nobility and their knights during medieval times (i.e. courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms). Inside many of the most popular plays, this was utilized to create a sense of values and respect for these ideals. To fully understand the importance of chivalry requires looking at three works of literature from different periods. This will be accomplished by studying the main characters from Beowulf, Sir Gawain and The Merchant of Venice. Together, these differentRead More Power of Women in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1460 Words   |  6 Pagespoems of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight show, women have always had power, yet not as overt a power as wielded by their masculine counterparts. The only dynamic of women’s power that has changed in the later centuries is that the confines and conditions in which women have wielded thei r power has become more lax, thus yielding to women more freedom in the expression of their power. The structure, imagery, and theme in the excerpts from Beowulf (lines 744-71) and Sir Gawain and the Green