1. In the article “Beowulf,” look at the discussion of themes on pp. 32-34. Select one of these themes and briefly summarize the discussion on that one theme. Then, give at least 2 examples of how that theme appears in Beowulf. These examples need to be different ones than those that appear in the article.
According to the article, loyalty is “one of the greatest virtues in Beowulf”. It is a mutual/psychological bond that connects people together and create some sort of virtual relationship and a sense of belonging from one another in the Anglo-Saxon society. Loyalty played such a major and serious subject in the life of these men that injustice and other minus sources of crimes were viewed as less evil. It was every men’s duty to …show more content…
In the article “Sir Gawain,” read the section entitled “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” on pp. 84-85. Summarize the ways that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight differs from the typical romance.
it states in the article that the typical romance would most have a universal chronology of events. It is composed of 3 main stages: “the agon or conflict, the pathos or the death/struggle of the main hero and finally the anagnorisis, in other terms the recognition and the exaltation of the hero if he does survive the conflict of course. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” follow do theses stages but the author give it its own flavor by transforming what is expected into “something rich and strange” (The Gawain Poet, 84). Suspense plays a major role in the story I order to keep the spectators focused and wanting more (assuming the poems was read out loud during gatherings at the time). Instead of following the usual plan, which is to present the spectator the hero’s previous quests, less important adventures that will in return proves the hero capable of engaging the main quest, the author decided to skip that part altogether in lines (713, 739). There are no signs that shows what character the reader or the spectator must praise or must blame. Is Gawain guilty to have used the green girdle and not tell the green knight? But why was he given a second chance to live? What about Morgan le Fay? All those questions are up to the reader’s own view, similarly to what Umberto Eco calls an open text. There is no single conclusion but instead numerous possibilities. By doing so, the author allows the reader to be more engage, to have the free will to decide and appreciate its moral complexities and therefore pushing away the poem from standard