The idea of heroism is very prevalent in both “Beowulf” translated by Seamus Heaney and ”Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” translated by Burton Raffel. Although it is true that being a hero is based on performing heroic deeds, the personality of an individual ultimately determines whether or not a person is truly a hero. For this reason, Gawain is a more noble hero than Beowulf. A true hero, no matter the situation, will act humbly and in a human and mortal manner. Humility is an important characteristic of a true hero because the presence of humility or lack thereof determines how a hero acts. A humble hero, such as Gawain, will act for his people, while a prideful hero, such as Beowulf, will fight for personal glory. Herein lies a fundamental difference between Gawain and Beowulf. Gawain pictures himself as a trivial knight of the Round Table, and even in the beginning of the book, the reader can tell that this is not true.
In an act of humility,Gawain puts Arthur’s importance in front of his own importance When the Green Knight beckons Arthur to accept his challenge, Gawain steps in to protect his king “My lord. let this challenge be mine…l am the slightest, the dullest of all;/ My life the least”. A hero should be selfless and willing to give his life for anyone in need. Gawain illustrates this perfectly by demonstrating unwavering loyalty to his lord and accepting the challenge of the Green Knight. While he sits next to Queen Guinevere and King Arthur, a testament to his own importance, he views himself among the knights as “the dullest of all” and his life matters the least. Although it is obvious he is important, his humble nature leads him to sacrifice himself for his lord, One can contrast Gawain’s actions with the actions of Beowulf. Society’s view on a hero usually involves a pride-filled, larger than life character.
Beowulf illustrates this perfectly with his haughty manner. Although Beowulf is old and grizzled, he still views himself above everyone else, According to Beowulf, he alone can kill the dragon, “Now I am old…for the glory of winning…nor is it up to any man except me / to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth.”(Heaney 2513-2535), Beowulf thinks he is better than anyone else and will sacrifice his life not for his people, but because no man except him can “measure his strength against the monster,” Beowulf alone, a larger than life character, can beat the dragon. Beowulf‘s personality is not the personality of a selfless true hero. He only does good deeds for “the glory of winning” The reason for putting oneself in harm‘s way is the difference between Beowulf and Gawain. Beowulf, for the glory of winning a battle, and Gawain , to protect his king.
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Gawain is the greater hero because his motives are selfless and humble A true hero will sacrifice himself for anyone in need. Much in the same vein, being human is equally as important to being a true hero The acceptance that anyone, even a hero, is only human is another important part of being a true heroi Atrue hero should recognize their mistakes and accept the consequences of their actions, no matter grave they may be. While Gawain fails the challenge of the lord by not giving the sash back to the lord, he does not try to deny the claims, but rather he accepts the accusations and admits his cowardice, “Fear of your blow taught me cowardice, / Brought me to greed…l’m false, now,forever afraid…l humbly confess / My faults. Gawain’s actions exhibit a very human quality, he is afraid. By showing that he is afraid, he passes the knight’s challenge.
A hero is a giant among men, but human all the same, by exhibiting the same qualities as a mere human, while possessing the capability to do great thing is what makes a true hero. This is another main difference between Gawain and Beowulf. Beowulf, while powerful and courageous, lacks the human qualities which make a hero that much more impressive. Beowulf, being the boastful and courageous fellow he is, denounces the use of sword and shield to fight Grendel, “”I hereby renounce / sword and the shelter of the broad shield, / the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand / is how it will be, a life-and-death / fight with the fiend”( l-leaney 437-440). While at first glance, this quote may signify Beowulf trying to be more human, the antics of Beowulf prove that he is better than everyone else. Even though Grendel cannot be harmed by weapons, Beowulf appears superhuman by renouncing all protection. By agreeing to fight Grendel barehanded, beowulf seems superhuman.
A hero should be someone a person can relate to, but Beowulf with his superhuman strength is anything but relatable. Acting human enhances the actions of a hero because it makes a hero seem down to earth, and thus their actions are much more impressive. While Beowulf,throughout the entire epic, exhibits all the traits of a hero, he lacks a certain human quality. Beowulf is so magnificent that the reader cannot truly emulate himr Gawain’s human qualities make him that much more down to earth and thus easier to emulate. As Uncle Ben said in Spider-man, “with great power comes great responsibility”, being a hero is not all about having great power,being a hero is about acting with integrity and doing the right thing. Perhaps this is why humans find heroes in the most peculiar of places.
