Comparing Sir Gawain And The Green Knight And Beowulf

â€Å"Faith, valor, loyalty, truth...† one can expect these virtues that comprise the Chivalric Code from an orthodox knight in the Middle Ages. The Germanic Warrior Code, on the other hand, governs the warring tribes of Norsemen. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf as translated by Simon Armitage and Seamus Heaney, the core values of the two codes are respectively personified as the two protagonists. Despite the numerous similarities between these two disciplines, they differ over the existence of one key concept – humility. While boasting plays a central role in a Scandinavian warrior’s career, the Knights of the Round Table practice humbleness instead. Both Beowulf and Sir Gawain are preceded by their reputations. For instance,†¦show more content†¦Beowulf, in reply, proclaims that neither Unferth nor Breca â€Å"were ever much celebrated for swordsmanship or for facing danger on the field of battle†, and that Unferth â€Å"will suffer damnation in the depths of hell†(Heaney, 589), all the while omitting to address Breca’s victory. His agitated reply shows an indisputable pride: no one is allowed the liberty of smearing his honor. Sir Gawain, in contrast, retains his composure when the Green Knight blasphemously calls him and his fellow knights â€Å"lightweight adolescents wouldn’t last a minute†(Armitage, 39) against him. Furthermore, when the Green Knight misses his first strike in the final confrontation, Sir Gawain admits to flinching and plainly accepts the accusations of â€Å"terror struck† and â€Å"feeble and frail†(Armitage, 173). Evidently he demonstrates a relinquishment of pride. Both heroes face defeats near the end of the stories: Beowulf is physically poisoned by the dragon’s lethal venom and cannot leave the barrow alive; Sir Gawain is morally dismantled when the Green Knight reveals his true identity and exposes Sir Gawain’s fear for death. Sir Gawain decides to keep the girdle, the very object that symbolizes his sin, so that it serves as a reminder that â€Å"the frailty of his flesh is [his] biggest fault, the touch of filth taints his tender frame†(Armitage, 183). If pride ever assumes dominance over Sir Gawain again, this girdle would â€Å"lessen [his] ardor† and restore his modesty(Armitage, 183). In contrast,Show MoreRelatedComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1338 Words   |  6 Pagesmake me really love it called â€Å"Beowulf† and â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.† Both of this story illustrated between these women s always try to overcome with all the mission in life and show the ir responsibility to achieve successfully in life. Thus, the poet shows that the women s role in British literature is a very good central point, they always face with all these conflicts about the protagonist male throughout the poem. Besides that, Beowulf and Sir Gawain always challenge with all the womenRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1555 Words   |  7 Pagesideology is, does one value loyalty? Among the many values of the Anglo-Saxons, such as bravery, truth, and honor, above them all stands loyalty. Through an archetypal analysis, one may view how two major works of the Middle Ages, Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both reflect attributes of loyalty, specifically the testing of one’s loyalty and the consequences of disloyalty, which reflect the behavior and values shared by the Anglo-Saxons and the people of the Late Medieval era. When analyzingRead MoreComparing Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1762 Wor ds   |  8 Pagesultimately tying in with the theme of the work. 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