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Similarities Between Sir Gawain And Beowulf

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To start off both Sir Gawain and Beowulf are loyal and show it throughout their poems. Beowulf shows he is loyalty toward his people the citizens of Geatland over which he rules. This is expressed in the quote “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank Our father in Heaven,, Ruler of Earth or all of this, that His Grace has given me, Allowed me to bring to my people while I breath Still came to my lips. I sold my life for this treasure, and I sold it well. Take what I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people, help them; my time is gone.” Sir Gawain shows that he has loyalty by stepping in for King Arthur in the Green Knight’s challenge, instead of Arthur risking his life. This is stated when Sir Gawain says “ I beseech you, sire, let this game be mine…… and let it fall to me.” This is just one of the two heroic qualities that Beowulf and Sir Gawain share. The other trait that they both share is courage. …show more content…

Beowulf showed courage when he decided to fight Grendel with his bare hands, and stated that god would decide who the victor would be. Beowulf said this by saying “ That I alone with the help of my men, may purge all evil from this hall. ……..god must decide who will be given to death’s cold grip. Sir Gawain showed courage by following through with the challenge with the Green knight . This is shown in the poem where it says “As the end of the year approaches, Gawain leaves on his quest to find the Green Chapel and fulfill his pledge.” Now that I have given the two characteristics that I believe Gawain and Beowulf share that makes them heroes, I would like to name the other traits that they have individually starting with

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Joey Mahop Period 9 Ms. Rad L’s Up For Ya Hittas Loyalty is a major theme not just in Beowulf, but also in today's society . Loyal to those whom they trust is a norm. Many feel as if they have to be loyal in order to feel comfortable in life. In relationships, people are loyal to those who define themselves similar even though they may have many differences.

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According to the hero’s journey there must be a theme, a message the author is trying to get across through the hero’s trials and experiences. The characters in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight play the largest role in getting this theme across to the reader and to Gawain. The idea that being honest and chivalrous is the best way to lead

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Finally, both men beowulf and wiglaf, demonstrate Anglo- Saxon value of loyalty. All decisions made by both men are done due to their loyalty to their king and the Danes. Beowulfs loyalty to the danes stems from his fathers war, that hrothgar ended. Hrothgar explains, “Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance.”

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Medieval Being loyal was a crucial trait of a hero in the medieval era, especially to those higher in power than them, such as their king or lord. In Beowulf, Beowulf and his crew are loyal to their King and Queen by fighting for them. The King praises the heros by saying “It is most fitting you do Queen Wealtheon. To the best of friends, who come in our greatest need”(6). The King tells the Queen that she should praise them as they have come when they needed them most.

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Knights, lords, ladies, magical creatures, nobility, and honor all encompass medieval literature. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight also contain many of these elements. In this ancient medieval tale, Sir Gawain, the noble knight and nephew of King Arthur, must endure extreme obstacles to reach his destiny. Gawain is portrayed as a man with virtuous character; seen by the reader with his acts of loyalty and courage, honesty, and self-control. In the midst of immoral situations and temptations, Sir Gawain clings to his moral values, remaining a virtuous and honorable knight.

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Was Beowulf an honorable hero? Absolutely! He was an honorable hero. In this essay I will tell the reason for his titled name. The reasons that will be explained includes: the actions he did, the type of person he was and what he believed him, and his relentless fighting efforts towards every monster/creature around.

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Beowulf is a poem that exploits the theme loyalty within its characters. Beowulf himself is a complex character who possesses the trait loyalty to his followers and also his own country. Beowulf, who is the main hero of the poem, shows great loyalty through his actions. An example of loyalty was when the Geats showed Beowulf loyalty by following Beowulf’s last request before he had died. “Then the Geats built the tower, as Beowulf had asked, strong and tall...

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Every past and modern culture over the course of history, has its hero’s. A hero is a person or figure that others look up to and use as forms of protection. Many cherish the hero’s, they make up who we are today. The Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and the postmodern hero/hero’s, the soldiers, both show the traits of bravery, selflessness, and loyalty. To have the trait of bravery you have to have lots of confidence in yourself and have courage.

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Leadership Skills in Beowulf The Anglo-Saxon poet who composed the epic poem Beowulf portrayed Beowulf to be a model of the perfect leader (Loughman). Beginning when he voyages to Heorot Hall to defeat Grendel, and concluding when he becomes king and dies a heroic death; Beowulf is in a position of leadership throughout the entire poem. Consequently, Beowulf possesses an abundance of characteristics that establish him as a strong leader. Throughout the course of Beowulf’s life, as depicted in the epic poem, the majority of his followers are loyal to him up until his fatal death.

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Courage was spread throughout medieval literature and tended to be linked to knightly chivalry, as it is in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Courage was an extremely focal area of interest during medieval times. Medieval literature is teemed with examples of courage and thankfully Sir Gawain and Green Knight has great courageous characters too. What is great about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is that the poem tends to deal with the problematic nature of courage throughout. Courage can be defined in many ways, but the author of Sir Gawain: Cowardyse and the Fourth Pentad, Valerie Allen, really hits the nail on the head with her definition of courage.

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Loyalty, one of the main themes throughout Beowulf, is an important aspect of the Germanic culture. Loyalty in the Heroic Code is a bond between the king and his warriors; loyalty to the king is first above all, even family in this text. If the warriors lack the loyalty for their king, the urge to protect their king and tribe is diminished. Beowulf’s king, Hygelac, gave him permission to help the Danish king and his people. Beowulf exerts his loyalty to Hrothgar by protecting the king’s people, and killing Grendel.

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Beowulf also shows loyalty by the statement, “Beowulf ruled in Geatland/ Took the throne he’d refused,once/ And held it long and well” (Beowulf 451-53). This resembled loyalty toward Beowulf because it shows how he stayed true to his word and can be trusted. The last characteristic Beowulf showed as an Anglo-Saxon hero was friendship. Beowulf resembled an enormous amount of friendship throughout the novel Beowulf.

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Yes, Beowulf is brave, but not because he wants to do the right thing, he wants gold and glory. Beowulf is known as a great hero and on the surface he is. He seems to be brave and just but underneath that, Beowulf is extremely arrogant and egotistical. Beowulf does not just do things for they are the right thing to do, he does them seeing that great deeds will bring him honor and boost his reputation. He fights Grendel for bragging rights like the swimming contest Unferth brought up and he refuses to use a sword when fighting Grendel because it will just add to his bravery.

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1869 Words | 8 Pages

Sir Gawain encounters the challenge of having to overcome seduction of women, honesty and following the code of chivalry. During the Middle Ages family lineage was important since Gawain was King Arthurs nephew this made him part of the nobility. He was described “girt with great saddle... that was agleam...and…bedecked all with gold. ”(Lines 597-600). However his expectations as a knight was to follow the chivalry code during the time the code was being influenced heavily by the church.

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"Hear me! We've heard of Danish heroes, ancient kings and the glory they cut for themselves, swinging mighty swords." These verses were words sung over and over, by singing poets all over ancient Europe. They were sung in the presence of kings and warriors. They are the beginning lines of the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, an ancient tale of monsters, dragons, kings, warriors, battles, life, death, and the virtues of a hero.

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