Comparing King Arthur In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

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Charlemagne and King Arthur are both profoundly similar, but are they too similar? Are these mighty warriors stories close enough that they are the same person? Their legacies and the perceptions of them are particularly similar making it easy to believe so. Charlemagne and the legend of King Arthur are considerably similar, but still have major differences in the way they run their kingdom/empire, their personalities and much more. Charlemagne’s authority allowed him to be more powerful, he was able to conquer his enemies and accomplish his most demanding goals. For example, a description of Charlemagne is,“Toward his friends Charlemagne was jovial, and he particularly enjoyed the company of others. Yet toward his enemies he was a stern and…show more content…
“Since the appearance of a British, or possibly Romano-British, warrior bearing the name Arthur, sometime in the 6th century poets and writers of virtually every persuasion have been telling and retelling his story. In the process they have created a rich and heady brew that continues to inspire and entertain people worldwide to this day” (Matthews, 8). This illustrates how Arthur is celebrated to this day and Charlemagne is as well. “In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we still see Arthur as fearless warrior; he is the first to accept the Green Knight’s challenge and lay his life on the line to defend the honor of his court. But, in addition to his positive virtues, Arthur is also representative of the affluence and decadence of his court. There is perhaps a sense that Arthur and his court are too successful and have become enamored of fine food, drink, and women” (Little). This proves Arthur’s good side and how he is greatly successful and fearless just like Charlemagne. Charlemagne also will do anything for his Empire and was not afraid of much, this brought him success. “Charlemagne moved aggressively to remove those who threatened his lordship and to expand his power, especially in Italy. He immediately attacked and vanquished Desiderius, King of the Lombards” (Gale). This shows how Charlemagne was concerned with anyone who chose to threaten him and Arthur was the same. In conclusion, King Arthur and Charlemagne are noticeably similar. This is why people confuse them in history and
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