Essay On Hero In Sir Gawain And Beowulf

Improved Essays
What is a Hero? What is a hero? Is it a dragon-slayer or a person with super powers? Most people would think so, but a true hero is one that displays courage, leadership and honor. Courage means, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). A leader is “The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) Honor is “A good name” or “to respect” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Honor can also mean to respect a king, one’s country, themselves, or honoring their word. Sir Gawain and Beowulf displayed courage, leadership, and undying honor. Beowulf is a Geatish warrior who conquered countless monsters and …show more content…
On the New Year’s Eve, a monstrous knight called “The Green Knight” interrupted the feast and challenged King Arthur to a game, in which he would strike the Green Knight on the neck with an axe and a year and a day later the Green Knight would return the blow at the Green Chapel. Courageously, Gawain took his king’s place. After the Green Knight had been decapitated he picked up his head, restated the rules of the game, and rode off. Sir Gawain honored his word and went to find the Green Chapel. He stayed in a lord’s castle (who was the Green Knight) and was issued a game, the lord would go hunting and would exchange anything he found for anything Sir Gawain found around his house. On the third day, the lord’s wife gave him a girdle that would allow him to remain unscathed. So, he wore the girdle to the Green Chapel and did not exchange it. And when the Green Knight struck him he was only grazed consequently for not keeping his promise. Courage means, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Both Beowulf and Sir Gawain show courage time and time again. Beowulf showed courage by fighting both, Grendel and Grendel’s mother alone. He also fought the dragon with no help when he was old. Like Beowulf, Sir Gawain showed courage by, conquering the beasts in the woods alone and going to the Green Chapel even though …show more content…
Honor can also mean respecting a king, country, themselves, or honoring their word. Both of these heroes always showed honor to, themselves, their kings, vicious monsters, and individuals regardless of their class or status. By not fighting him with a sword, Beowulf honored Grendel. He also honored Hrothgar and the Danish kingdom by fighting their battle with Grendel and his’ mother. Sir Gawain honored his king by taking his place in the Green Knight’s game. Furthermore, he honored his word by going to the Green Chapel. He also honored the Knight’s Code, which is, frankness, fellowship, purity, courtesy, and compassion. These heroic men never lacked to show honor to anyone. In conclusion, Beowulf and the Sir Gawain showed unceasing courage, brave leadership, and undying honor which make them heroes. What is a hero? A hero is not someone who possesses super natural strength or amazing abilities, instead a true hero is someone who emits courage, leadership, and honor, Beowulf and Sir Gawain displayed the virtues of a hero throughout their

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Hero’s Journey The definition of “hero” is someone who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. A journey motif gives the writer an outline of how their story should begin and end, but it still gives them the creativity to write about what they chose for the middle. Both stories listed below have one man, the hero, using chivalrous attitude to help their town’s people for the better. Although created from two different time periods, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’s journey motif can be easily compared to Beowulf’s, as well as contrasted.…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Honor In Beowulf

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Heroism and Honor saves Humanity A hero, in modern day terms is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”, according to dictionary.com. There are many heroes in this world that people admire daily; everybody has a hero, it just depends on what you consider to be hero material. There were heroes centuries ago that were respected for the same qualities as today’s heroes are. The term hero has been established throughout many time periods and according to the distinctive characteristics that the two heroes spoken about in this paper possess, this is evident. Beowulf and Marine Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter both have several characteristics, which will be compared and contrasted, that coordinate…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight both feature antagonists that could be considered monsters. These two characters are the primary entities that challenge their heroes in their following stories. A monster by normal standards is an ugly and ferocious creature that strike fear into others, but the definition of monster can be loosely taken and adapted into anything. Specifically a source that summons a great amount of anxiety for other people. Grendel and the Green Knight are our horrendous beings that fit the term monster but one creature in mind truly depicts the word monster, Grendel.…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The notion of honor appears in many different forms through the ages. In Beowulf, an old Scandinavian legend, Beowulf’s speech in preparation for his fight with Grendel’s mother emphasizes the importance Beowulfian heroism places on glory and recognition; this sentiment closely mirrors that of the glory-driven Achilles of The Iliad and greatly contrasts with the soft modesty and chivalry exemplified in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In placing urgency on the preservation of physical entities that could attest to Beowulf’s feats, Beowulf’s speech highlights the importance of reputation in a Beowulfian interpretation of a hero’s honor. In the event of his death, Beowulf asks for Hrothgar to “take care of [Beowulf’s] young company, [his]…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Heroes In The Odyssey

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A hero is anyone who has the ability to express themselves. In the past, the definition of a hero was much more narrow than in the current day. Today, who a hero is depends entirely on perspective. A hero to one could be the enemy to another. This concept of what it takes to be a hero has changed as time went on.…

    • 614 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    They more or less follow a certain code of honor that they must uphold. The difference of the time period and religion influence has very much so do with it with how they are portrayed as heroes. Beowulf setting was in the early medieval period where religion wasn't as prominent as it was in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Religion and social order in their kingdom changed how they were considered heroes. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are the definition…

    • 1148 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Beowulf displays actions of selflessness through out the poem. His first action was by coming over to Heorot and defeating Grendel. After peace is achieved he walks into certain death to stop the terror of the Dragon that has been destroying his kingdom. Instead of having his men join him in battle he sends them off so that he may fight the Dragon alone and not risk other’s lives. After the Dragon is defeated he asks that all the spoils go to all those in the kingdom so that could prosper.…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    We see that Beowulf fights for the honor of his lord, his Gods, and his people throughout the story. Both heroes believe that their honorable deeds will make them immortal through the actions of their Gods, but the major difference between them is how they achieve their honorable…

    • 1372 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    These points emphasize that pride is not everything. Using the magic weapon, Hrunting, Beowulf slays Grendel’s mother and departs back to his homeland. He gifts the sword to Hrothgar who, in return, showers Beowulf with gold, armor, and horses. Beowulf thanks God for his opportunity and ability to complete his heroic feats as “his courage was proven, his glory was secure” (I.1646.112). Following the Code of Conduct, Gawain keeps his promise to the Green Knight and presents himself, ready for death.…

    • 1310 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Beowulf and his warriors travel a long way to help the king fight Grendal. Beowulf further demonstrate loyalty to the kinsmen as a king and an epic hero by honoring his responsibilities to protect his people. His responsibility leads him to face the dragon in a battle that ultimately kills him. Beowulf dies in victory of great honor. Wiglaf, Beowulf’s most loyal thane, also epitomizes loyalty to kinsmen.…

    • 1161 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The definition of a hero has changed over the past two thousand years. Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, is the oldest English epic to date. In the epic, Beowulf, the main character, is a hero for the Danes. An epic hero is “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events” (Dictionary.com). Modern day heroes, on the other hand, are defined as “a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal” (Dictionary.com).…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The stories of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf both tells the stories of two honorable and noble kings, whose bravery is put to the test when they have to overcome obstacles in order to succeed in returning a favor and keeping a promise. There are some similarities and some differences that could be analyzed from these stories due to the fact that they both have heroic reputations that they seem to own up to by the end of them. Although, along with the similarities are the differences between them because they both have different experiences with their journeys that are displayed in their stories. As you continue reading, you will be displayed these similarities and differences between both heroic stories along with summaries…

    • 1172 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Beowulf Was NOT a Hero While reading the story of Beowulf, the author showed that Beowulf was not a hero after all. Around the middle of the story is when it was revealed Beowulf was not a hero. Beowulf always thought of himself as the best and that no one could defeat him, that nothing could defeat him. Beowulf was a great warrior but he was no hero. Beowulf was not a hero because he wanted fame for his deeds, was born a noble, and only thought about himself.…

    • 716 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Beowulf Analysis Essay

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Men could increase their reputation by living in accordance with the heroic code. The men of Beowulf’s time are expected to abide by this code. The heroic code values traits such as strength, courage, and honour. Men who display these traits and live by the code are seen as honourable and are respected as great warriors.…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What Makes A Hero? To many, a hero is defined as a person who is idealized for bravery, outstanding accomplishments, and or noble qualities. But in all reality, a hero is a person who puts others before themselves. A person that you can look up to as a role model is a hero.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays