Comparison of Legendary Heroes

The poems of "Beowulf" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" werecomposed in two different eras. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were two of the greatest warriors of their times. However, although they both may have been fearsome combatants, Beowulf and Sir Gawain each fulfilled different roles in their society.
In the epic poem Beowulf, Beowulf is recognized as a hero during the Anglo-Saxon era. "There is no doubt that he is a great warrior. Beowulf's heroism belongs to a different time than that of Sir Gawain." (Azete.com). When Beowulf was having a particular discussion with the King Hrothgar, he portrayed himself very proudly but at the same time arrogantly. The poet writes about how Beowulf viewed his own arrogance. Beowulf says, "...all knew of my awesome strength." (Beowulf, Line 418) and "...their enemies brought it upon themselves, I devastated them." (Beowulf, Lines 423-424). As it is evident, Beowulf believes that he himself is much more than qualified to fight against Grendel. Beowulf also explains to King Hrothgar that he wants fight because of the fame and glory that comes along with victory. It seems that Beowulf cares only about his self-interest. The poet describes the discussion between Beowulf with King Hrothgar, "...with my own men to help me, and nobody else." (Beowulf, Line 432). He gains his fame completely by battling threats to society. "He does not lie or manipulate to achieve fame, he uses what is rightfully his, his bravery." (Azete.com) This very ego leads him to his downfall. Although Beowulf may not have been a humble warrior, everyone still remembers and adores him since he went to great lengths to capture the fame that he always wanted.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is set in a different period in time than that of Beowulf's. In the poem, Sir Gawain is very polite and not as boastful as Beowulf was. The poet describes Sir Gawain speech to King Arthur, "let me rise from this bench and stand with you there, to move from this table without giving offence..." (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lines 344-345). Sir Gawain seems unfit to battle the Green knight, but he believes that should go since his death would only be considered a small loss. Sir Gawain always keeps his honor, even when tempted by the Lady of the house. When the Lady of the house tries to seduce Sir Gawain, "Nevertheless he falters in trying to protect his life. But he does redeem himself by admitting his duplicity to the Green Knight, and learning from his experience." (Associatedcontent.com). However, Gawain feels he has to prove himself to King Arthur. "Sir Gawain and Beowulf were both the epitomes of honorable people in their times and their lands."(Megaessays.com).

Sir Gawain and Beowulf were great legendary heroes who shared many of the same qualities however they also had their differences. They both wanted to achieve fame so that their names would be kept immortalized in time. However, Sir Gawain was very polite and a true noble whereas Beowulf was very selfish and loved nothing more than boasting about his qualities. Sir Gawain and Beowulf will forever be known for their courageous efforts in helping those in need.

Work Cited

Anonymous, "A Comparison of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and King Arthur as Heroes", Azete,

Anonymous, "Beowulf vs. Sir Gawain", Mega Essays,

Anonymous Poet, Beowulf, Translation by Seamus Heaney. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000

Anonymous Poet, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Translation by Bernard O'Donoghue. Penguin Classics 2006

zain.dada, "Sir Gawain V. Beowulf", Associated Content,