Compare And Contrast Beowulf And King Arthur - 901 Words

Since the beginning of time, on every corner of the earth, there have been heroes who possess traits that make them important gifts to the world. The specific qualities that heroes possess influence their own lives and those of the people around them, specifically like the heroes in the epic â€Å"Beowulf† and the novel The Once and Future King. Each trait that Arthur and Beowulf possessed impacted major events in their lives, such as defeating Grendel in â€Å"Beowulf† or removing Excalibur from the stone in The Once and Future King. In both literary pieces, Arthur and Beowulf embark on quests in order to save their people. For both heroes, the effects of their actions differed, as well as many key happenings throughout their journeys. Both†¦show more content†¦The way in which these heroes fought their battles reveals their strengths and weaknesses. Beginning in Beowulf’s first quest, his bold personality allows him to undertake his task head on and wi th bravery. When Beowulf fights Grendel, he is daring and noble enough to fight the monster without any weapons. If Beowulf had a weak personality he would not have been courageous enough to fight Grendel without weapons although he does mention that it is the honorable thing to do. During Beowulf’s final quest he willingly fights the dragon for his people although he knows he will die doing so. â€Å"...---a king, before, but now / A beaten warrior.† Beowulf’s strong personality allowed him to be noble whereas Arthur’s frail personality did not allow him to stand up for what he knew was right. Arthur’s wife Guenever was involved in an affair with his best friend Lancelot. Knowing that this was occurring, Arthur failed to address the issue, slowly causing him to become a sad old king. Arthur was also much weaker than Beowulf because Arthur failed to overcome the temptation of Queen Morgause, thus committing incest. Not only does the strength of ea ch character affect their quests, it also affects the use of symbolism through the sword in each tale. The importance of the sword in both stories plays a major role in the development of the character traits of each hero. In the epic â€Å"Beowulf†, there are two important swords, Hrunting given to Beowulf by Unferth, a coward, and theShow MoreRelated Compare and contrast images of heroism in these two poems. Essay1421 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and contrast images of heroism in these two poems. Heroism is a trait that we seem to have no problem identifying, yet when asked to define what a hero is a myriad of answers emerge. This phenomenon is not unique to today’s society; the definition of a hero is something that is constantly under revision and debate. An example of this can be seen in two older pieces of English literature: Beowulf, written circa 750-900, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, written circa 1375-1400Read MoreEssay on Ideal Women vs Real Women in Beowulf and The Wife of Bath1486 Words   |  6 Pageschallenges a man belief; and does not symbolize perfect women. In the epic poem Beowulf majority of the characters are males; with the exception of a few females in the poem. When going back to the information of the women in Beowulf; there are some concepts that define women. One is being that women have assertive and firm role. The mother of Grendel is a female character that becomes a threat to the Danes, as well as Beowulf. Then it became clear, Obvious to everyone once the fight was over, ThatRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 PagesShakespeare’s Sonnets William Shakespeare The Sonnet Form A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem, traditionally written in iambic pentameter—that is, in lines ten syllables long, with accents falling on every second syllable, as in: â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?† The sonnet form first became popular during the Italian Renaissance, when the poet Petrarch published a sequence of love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman named Laura. Taking firm hold among Italian poets, the sonnet