Compare And Contrast Beowulf And Sir Gawain

There are many different interpretations when it comes to the word "Hero". The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, however all heroes have reoccurring traits such as courage, honor, and loyalty. These traits reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The Characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent the authors different vision of a hero. Even with both of them being heroes, they both come across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his personal values even in situations that may try to lead him astray. By that standard, Sir Gawain stands tall above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both physical and inner power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds. The settings, characters, and even the plots of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Beowulf" are very different. They both however have quite similar themes. In both stories, the audience meets a central heroic figure who is provided with intellectual, physical, and psychological prowess that readies him for the mission to overcome significant challenges to his authority and the people in his charge, this in turn provokes the audience to think about the …show more content…
Sir Gawain is intelligent, courageous, and well mannered. At the same time he is striving for a higher position and ends up in a situation where he needs to protect and elevate his reputation. Sir Gawain hides aspects of himself, including his sexual passion and it is this same passion that puts him in a bad situation. Unlike the story of Beowulf, in Sir Gawain there are never any real physical threats. The author wants to portray that the threats to one's own moral character are just as threatening then any physical danger, and that one must fight a constant battle with the forces that attempt to lead him