ipl-logo

Ambiguity Of Ganelon's Sins In 'Beowulf'

344 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Beowulf and the Christian Faith

Ganelon committed quite a number of sins which presented him as being morally ambiguous. Over the course of the story, we saw that Ganelon was a very well-respected baron and also Roland's stepfather. But it was also clear that he resented his stepson's boastfulness and popularity among the Franks and his success on the battlefield. His jealousy served as a factor because Charlemagne favored Roland and Ganelon felt like he wasn't cared for. As a result of his resentment, He planned with the Saracens to kill Roland and his guards, this was after Roland had nominated him to be the messenger of the Saracens and he was not too happy about that so he used the opportunity to create a plan to kill Roland. “I'll go to Saragossa, to Marsilla: / but first I'll have a little bit of fun/ in order to assuage my wrath.” (Pg. 61, line 299-301). …show more content…

The plan went just the way Ganelon predicted and Roland was ambushed with and he ended up getting struck in the head with little to no time to call for help so he died. Another sin that Ganelon committed was accepting bribes, this is a sin in the Christian faith. When Ganelon was sent to Saragossa with orders from Charlemagne to inform Marsile and Baligant to be baptized, he accepted rich gifts from Marsile as bribe to help him get rid of Charlemagne. “Bestow such bounty on the emperor/ that there will be no Frank left unamused... he’ll have no heart to fight you anymore.”(pg. 70, line 570- 579). Marsile handed over to Ganelon tributes, wine and women to take back to Charlemagne knowing that the wine was induced. Ganelon accepting bribes is a part of him committing treachery, he was going against his stepson, and he was a betrayer of benefactors. Ganelon made plans to ruin his stepson out of revenge and anger causing him to betray

Show More
Related
934 Words | 4 Pages

During the story, “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor, the protagonist, seeks revenge for the antagonist, Fortunato. “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge”(212). Montresor tries to be sneaky with Fortunato and takes advantage of the alcoholism weakness that he has. Montresor lures Fortunado down in the deep caves where he keeps the Amontillado. Once Fortunato was drunk, Montresor, little by little, plastered the exit so Fortunato couldn’t escape.

Read More
506 Words | 3 Pages

On the last day, the lady tempts him yet again, at first he refuses: " I swear by fire and ice to be your humble knight" (l. 216-217). But then she brings out the green scarf that promises to save his life. Who could blame Gawain for wanting to save his own life? Not many men would turn down an opportunity to avoid being beheaded, and although Gawain, being a Knight of the Round Table was supposed

Read More
97 Words | 1 Pages

In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Edgar Allan Poe displays the theme of revenge and manipulation. The narrator Montresor pledges revenge on Fortunato for an insult that is never explained. He maintains an appearance of goodwill towards Fortunato and decides to make use of Fortunato's weakness for fine wines against him. During the carnival season, the narrator approaches Fortunato, telling him that he has come across something that could pass for Amontillado a rare and expensive wine. Fortunato being excited about the news insists on accompanying Montresor to the vaults to determine whether it is Amontillado or not.

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Gawain’s values as a knight are in conflict, because he needs to be polite to the Lady, but he is also loyal to the Lord. Gawain ultimately fails

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

In this time period a knight’s honor was everything, without it the noblemen would become a huge disgrace. Sir Gawain’s honor is immediately tested at the beginning of the poem. He gives his word in the beheading game and intends to keep it even though it’s obvious that the Green Knight had tricked him. “Blood gutters brightly against his green gown, yet the man doesn’t shudder or stagger or sink, but trudges towards them […] gripping his head by a handful of hair. Then he settles himself in his seat with the ease of a man unmarked” (429-439).

Read More
1052 Words | 5 Pages

Gawain, who had struck a deal with the lord to surrender all things he received during his stay in the lord’s dwelling, fails to do so in the name of self-preservation. The lord’s wife gifts Sir Gawain a green sash rumored to protect its possessor from physical harm. Gawain, recalling his inevitable meeting with the Green Knight, decides to contradict his agreement with the lord and “hid[es] it away from all hands and eyes” (Line 1875). His decision blatantly violated the chivalrous code, “failing a moral test in agreeing to hide the girdle from the husband, with whom he has the prior arrangement to exchange winnings” (West 9).

Read More
699 Words | 3 Pages

He respectfully refuses the advances of the Lord's wife showing loyalty and respect for ladies. He owns up to his mistake, confesses, and apologizes. Why is Gawain

Read More
645 Words | 3 Pages

Being merciful is showing God’s dealings with mankind and is a quality of God. Bertilak refers Gawain to being a knight worthy and has no equal. Bertilak exclaims that he was sent on this task to find Gawain and see what he is about. The revelation after the Bertilak spares Gawain’s life and knowing about the girdle all along leads Gawain to truly embrace his flaws and humility for the first time and in so doing to find atonement and a more stable base for Christian behavior than the rule-based chivalry of Arthur’s court. “Sir Gawain And The Green Knight” shows Christian ideas and shows behavior towards everyone.

Read More
688 Words | 3 Pages

Gawain cannot redeem himself by blaming others, but does it anyways. He was supposed to be the epitome of chivalry and purity, but blames a single woman, the lady of the manor, on everything that he started. Gawain was the one to agree to the Green Knight’s challenge, not a woman who told him to. He took on the lord’s bets, without the ladies saying anything to him. Gawain’s pride and misogyny showed that he could not complete, or even start a path to redemption.

Read More
1197 Words | 5 Pages

As an Expert states, “Critics consider the puzzle of the theme a major asset of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and they continue to debate whether the real test was what happened at Castle Hautdesert rather than the exchange of blows, as well as whether, finally, Gawain passed or failed the tests” (Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism). The reason the critics say this is because they see that the real or possibly the real test was when Sir Gawain was in the castle getting tested by the king which turns out to be the king rather than getting swung at with an axe. Although Sir Gawain was not aware that the king was testing him under these circumstances he did want he had to do even if it meant he was a bit disloyal when taking the green sash. As Sir Gawain states, ‘“There, there’s my fault! The foul fiend vex it” (line 389)!

Read More
590 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf: Good Vs. Evil The balance of good and evil in Beowulf by Seamus Heaney is apparent in the characters Grendel, Grendel’s mother, Beowulf and Wiglaf. Grendel is a slayer and kills the Danes in Heorot Hall. Grendel’s mother comes for revenge of her son and in the process kills Hrothgar’s friend and adviser, Aeschere.

Read More
528 Words | 3 Pages

“And she pressed the sash upon him and begged him to take it, and Gawain did…” (L. 233-234). He gives in to the temptation unlike the merciful god and Jesus. He hides the sash, but the Red Lord/ The Green Knight knows of his gift. When the time comes for Gawain’s strike to be on him, the Green knight tells him that he knows of the sash and feels pity and for the Knight, for he is just a human and values his life. The Biblical God shows mercy to the human race in the bible and offers them many signs of his love and mercy in his stating to reconciliation and prayer for mercy.

Read More
690 Words | 3 Pages

In life, mostly everyone will want revenge on someone they know that did wrong to them. When Montressor wanted revenge, he went insane and planned to kill the person who did him wrong. In the real world, most people do not try to kill someone if they did them wrong. Montressor is insane because of the way he got revenge on Fortunato. Poe proves in this story that some people use different, harsher ways to get revenge on

Read More
949 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout Old English Literature, women were seen as evil. Like in Beowulf where the woman with the most power was a monstrous sea creature who destroyed things. Or in Lanval and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight where women were dishonest and corrupted men, or like in The Wife of Bath where women manipulated men to get what they wanted; owned them in a way. In old English texts women are seen as an evil force; a force of destruction, corruption and cunning.

Read More
323 Words | 2 Pages

In Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor has an evil plan to get revenge on his “friend,” Fortunato. Montresor's plan involves drinking the wine, Amontillado. Fortunato loves wine, and he will do anything for it, or with it. Wine plays a huge role in Montresor's plan. Montresor gets Fortunato to really think that they are “friends.”

Read More

More about Ambiguity Of Ganelon's Sins In 'Beowulf'

Related Topics

Open Document