Gallant Sir Gawain and fearless Beowulf are two great examples of the classic heroes from all of literature. They fight strange and terrifying creatures, they use their strength and wit to out do their opponents, and they always fight for what they believe in no matter the cost with their own noble code which will always guide them. No matter if it’s a swing of a sword or fall of an axe these men will aways fight for what they stand for even if they go about it in different ways. Gawain may show a certain level of restraint and humility that Beowulf does not, but they both are bound by their code of honor that they will each take to the grave, in turn making these men greater than the average rising to the status of Hero in each respective
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Beowulf like Gawain is bound by his code of honor and will follow it to the end of the Earth is he must, for if he were to ever forsake his code the essence of who he is would be just as lost as if Sir Gawain abandoned his. Beowulf’s code of honor is more viscerally direct and tied in with a kinship system was at work here, which was very similar to the relationship between a king and a knight. The thane, much like a knight, would swear loyalty to his lord, fighting for him and protecting him, while the lord would take care of his thanes, as is seen in for example with the great mead halls, or reminiscent of the great parties and feasts of the Knights. Kinship here is not a form of indentured servitude, but an intense bond of loyalty that tied clans together creating alliances that kept each other safe. For example when Beowulf first reaches the shores of Hrothgar’s land we hear him greeted by his ancestry “ ‘My lord, the conquering king of the Danes, / bids me to announce that he knows your ancestry; / also that he welcomes you to Herot / and salutes your arrival from across the sea.” (391-394) which shines a light on his cultural ties and standing with the other tribes. Beowulf then goes on to ask Hrothgar for the honor of fighting the terrible monster Grendel which has been terrorizing the land for many years and to restore honor to the great hall of Herot, “And so, my request, O king of Bright-Danes, / dear prince of the Shieldings . . . my one request is that you won’t refuse me, who have come this far, / the privilege of purifying Herot / with my own men to help me, and nobody else.” (427-432) and he goes on to put his life on the line as Gawain had accepting his duel “I hereby renounce / sword and shelter of a broad shield, / the heavy
Beowulf like Gawain is bound by his code of honor and will follow it to the end of the Earth is he must, for if he were to ever forsake his code the essence of who he is would be just as lost as if Sir Gawain abandoned his. Beowulf’s code of honor is more viscerally direct and tied in with a kinship system was at work here, which was very similar to the relationship between a king and a knight. The thane, much like a knight, would swear loyalty to his lord, fighting for him and protecting him, while the lord would take care of his thanes, as is seen in for example with the great mead halls, or reminiscent of the great parties and feasts of the Knights. Kinship here is not a form of indentured servitude, but an intense bond of loyalty that tied clans together creating alliances that kept each other safe. For example when Beowulf first reaches the shores of Hrothgar’s land we hear him greeted by his ancestry “ ‘My lord, the conquering king of the Danes, / bids me to announce that he knows your ancestry; / also that he welcomes you to Herot / and salutes your arrival from across the sea.” (391-394) which shines a light on his cultural ties and standing with the other tribes. Beowulf then goes on to ask Hrothgar for the honor of fighting the terrible monster Grendel which has been terrorizing the land for many years and to restore honor to the great hall of Herot, “And so, my request, O king of Bright-Danes, / dear prince of the Shieldings . . . my one request is that you won’t refuse me, who have come this far, / the privilege of purifying Herot / with my own men to help me, and nobody else.” (427-432) and he goes on to put his life on the line as Gawain had accepting his duel “I hereby renounce / sword and shelter of a broad shield, / the heavy