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Bradley Talley

Ms. Winter

British Literature

21 October 2016

Beowulf Vs. Sir Gawain

Who would win in a fight, Batman or Superman? If one has ever legitimately considered

the thought, then ancient British history and tales may fascinate some. Much like how Superman

embodied the American ideas of strength and power after World War II, Beowulf resembles the

incredible strength and resilience of the Anglo-Saxons during their rule of England, they were

getting raided and pillaged by Vikings constantly during this time, after all. Similarly to

Superman, Beowulf demonstrated incredible and unrealistic strength and was able to defeat a

horrible, man-eating monster named Grendel. This was to give the Anglo-Saxons a feeling of

power and responsibility. Batman was a symbol of silent justice and the pinnacle of human

existence with no supernatural abilities. The same is to go with Sir Gawain. A brave, moral

driven knight who upheld societal standards of fair repayment and Chivalry during the Middle

Ages. He was so morally affected that he risked his life in order to repay his debt. These

characters are very similar and meant just as much as our modern comic book super heroes.

While both Beowulf and Sir Gawain are from their respective time periods, Beowulf is a

boastful, Pagan warrior, while Sir Gawain is a humble Catholic knight. This displays a cultural

shift from the Anglo-Saxon times to the Middle Ages.

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Who is Beowulf? Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon warrior that has superhuman strength. He

fights supernatural monsters and likes a fair fight "I have heard moreover that the monster scorns

in his reckless way to use weapons; / therefore, to heighten Hygelac's fame / and gladden his

heart, 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." (433-440). Beowulf is

also a Pagan who follows his wyrd and is rather greedy, but greed in this time period was not a

very bad thing. In fact it was a good thing for heroes to have. When someone completes a

difficult task or quest the sought a hefty reward in return, but not so much for Medieval times

when greed was frowned upon. For example, how in modern times or even the Medieval Age;

compared to Sir Gawain, Beowulf looked like a greedy snob.

Beowulf completely embodies the cultural ideals of the Anglo-Saxons. The

Anglo-Saxons were a Pagan society that believed in wyrd, or fate, and wergild, or man

payment, ...hate-feuds he waged [against Hrothgar] / Crimes and murders for many seasons

he wanted no truce/ With any man of the Danish forces nor any of these wise men needed

expect / A handsome reward at the slayers hands(152-158). Beowulf possessed all of the Pagan

beliefs and also resembled the strength of the Anglo-Saxons. During the Anglo-Saxons rule of

England, they were constantly being raided by vikings and going to war. The resilience of their

culture and their country was resembled in Beowulf. Beowulf was strong and hard to kill much

like the Anglo-Saxons themselves. The culture of Anglo-Saxons differs much from the Catholic

rule of the Middle Ages.

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Who is Sir Gawain? Gawain is a medieval knight who followed the code of Chivalry and

had higher and more modern moral standards. During the Middle ages, Catholicism spread

through England and the knights code of Chivalry began to establish throughout the country. Sir

Gawain, unlike Beowulf, expresses humanity greater than Beowulf and has human flaws.

Gawain shows human vulnerabilities such as flinching and bleeding. The cultural change

between the Anglo-Saxons to the Middle aged Catholics is extreme and contrasts a lot.

Sir Gawain and Beowulf embody their cultural ideas and standards, and highly contrast.

Beowulf believes in his wyrd, or fate, while Sir Gawain believes that when he dies he will go to

heaven. Gawain is humble and follows the moral knight law of Chivalry and will repay debt

promptly. In contrast, Beowulf is much more of a champion warrior, or the chosen one, but is

also greedy and boastful. Beowulf is not boastful because hes stuck up and arrogant, but he

boasts in order to tell his stories and show his strength and power. Much like showing a resume

at a job interview. In Anglo-Saxon culture, boasting was a very good thing for a hero to do. It

was also a strong trait for a hero to be greedy and expect payment for hard tasks, which today is

frowned upon.

Just like Batman and Superman, these heroes are both different and originate from

different time periods. They embody their culture and they all carry the most important trait of a

hero; strength. While Beowulf is a greedy Pagan, and Gawain is a humble Catholic, they still

share traits such as strength and seeking justice. This is what truly creates a hero, regardless of

the time period.