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The Qualities Of A Hero In Beowulf And Sir Gawain

773 Words4 Pages

A brave person fights their own battles, but a hero helps fight everyone else’s in addition to their own. Beowulf, a character from an epic poem, has the attributes of a hero, while Palamon and Arcite behave in a manner of self seeking benefit, finally Sir Gawain possesses every feature required to make a hero. A hero’s qualities include selflessness in the midst of danger, staying determined to finish the task at hand, and practicing integrity even if no one will notice. Beowulf possesses all the attributes needed to be a hero. As the old king, Beowulf, fought with the dragon his sword shattered and, “The bold fire-dragon.rushed on the mighty man, when a chance offered, hot and fierce infight; he clutched his whole neck with sharp teeth; Beowulf …show more content…

Selfishly, the cousins broke the law to see Emily, aware of the consequences if the king discovered them. Both men agreed to a deadly duel in order to win the hand of Emily, “This Palamo, as he fought with Arcite, and made his sword deep in the flesh to bite” (Nicolson 71). The knights, caught up in their emotions, demonstrated determination however, for the wrong reasons. Once close, Palamon and Arcite would name the other, “cousin and. brother’” (Nicolson 33), however the pair willingly betrayed each other to win the hand and affection of the beautiful sister of the queen, Emily. The brothers displayed no integrity to the other through their inconsistent behavior and actions. Sir Gawain behaves with all the qualities necessary to be a hero. Volunteering to take the place of King Arthur in a fight with the Green Knight, Sir Gawain voiced, “‘I am the weakest, I wot, and the feeblest of wit, and it will be the least loss of my life if ye seek sooth’”(Weston 7). Realizing the importance of the king to his kingdom, Sir Gawian decided to take Arthur's place, even though he was not

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