Comparing Heroism In Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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Throughout the years the concept of heroism has come to mean several different things to many people. The traits that make people admire heroes have also evolved over the years. In the early times, people valued the traits of strength, self-confidence, arrogance, appearance, and most importantly the hero was supposed to be almost undefeatable. Now-a-days the concept of heroism is defined as a person with more realistic traits that are more relatable to the common individual. Society today perceives heroes as individuals with traits including loyalty, wisdom, bravery, kindness, and selflessness. People also value heroes that are not afraid to admit that they have faults, that they sometimes need help, and that they are not always right. Individuals value this type of hero because a hero that has imperfections is much more relatable than a hero who is considered a perfect…show more content…
By taking into account the current view of heroism, King Arthur proves to be the most heroic compared to the other heroes in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The story of Morte d’Arthur tells of several instances that contribute in proving that King Arthur is a true hero. In the beginning of the story, King Arthur runs into his faithful, magical companion (Merlin) and proceeds to chase away the peasants that were running after Merlin (Malory 84). This shows that King Arthur cared about others and not just himself, which is a quality that all heroes should have. Another instance of Arthur’s heroism is when he attempted to get the knight that was known for guarding the fountain (Pellinore) to drop his custom of battling anyone that tried to cross (Malory 84). This shows that Arthur had the wisdom to try to avoid a quarrel altogether, instead of jumping into a
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