Essay Database

Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are epics that display heroism in different contexts. Though both considered heroes, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are drastically different characters in personality, ability, and perspective. The similarities are few: each performs deeds for which they gain fame and honor, and each is seen, in their own respects, as a paragon of virtue. Two factors immediately stand out as fundamental differences between the texts: Beowulf and Sir Gawain …

…concept totally dependent on its social context. The criteria upon which they are each judged a hero have at best a tenuous resemblance to each other. In Sir Gawain's world, those who obey the religious and social codes of his realm can be titled a hero, while in Beowulf those who actually create and support society itself are heroic. Gawain seems to have little motivation from society while the preservation of his culture propels Beowulf.