Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay -- essays research papers

Defining a True Hero&9Is a hero the one who decides to stand up when everyone else is only opinion about it? Is a hero the one who retains integrity rather than give in to the worlds everyday temptations? Is a hero the picture of courage, or an example of morals? These are the questions that arise after reading the epic story of Beowulf by an anonymous author, and the romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, also compose by an anonymous author. The stories describe two very different heroes. Beowulf was undoubtedly a hero, but as time advanced and the world became more complicated, what conventional a hero became more shady therefore, while he is not anything like Beowulf, Sir Gawain is also in fact a true hero.&9Beowulf is a hero. That is an undeniable fact. His heroic image stands out notably because Beowulf is what could be called an active hero while Sir Gawain plays the part of a passive hero, but still a hero nonetheless. Beowulf has one duty he must fight and win. If he succeeds, he is a hero if he fails he is simply a bankruptcy (except when he fails at defeating the dragon because he has already proved himself and goes with honor, which is different from initially failing). In the last lines of the story the author clearly acknowledges Beowulfs general triumph, "Telling stories of their dead king and his greatness, his glory, praising him for heroic deeds, for a life as noble as his name." Sir Gawain on the other hand ...