Abstract
Although there are many similarities between "Beowulf" and "King Arthur", there are a number of significant differences. Both men, for example, became heroes for different reasons and objectives, thus implying that their motivation sprung from different sources. This paper, therefore, contrasts and compares "Beowulf" and "King Arthur" by examining their qualities, their ambitions, and the outcome of their noble and heroic actions.

Outline:
Introduction
Men of Honor
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Beowulf and King Arthur, although existing within different eras, were considered as heroes because of the way in which they stood against evil. Beowulf, for example, whose incredible deeds are told in an Old English heroic poem of the same name, defeated the terrible human-eating monster and its mother, while King Arthur fought an evil knight. Both heroes, furthermore, rode out in battle against an enemy that had supernatural powers, thus leaving them both in a distinctively disadvantaged position. As depicted, therefore, Beowulf and King Arthur were men of courage and honor - heroes because of the way in which they bravely faced a powerful enemy, despite the risks they faced. In fact, both heroes chose to go into battle either alone, or with just a few men, as seen by Beowulf, who demands, "That [he] alone and with the help of [his] men / May purge all evil from [the] hall" (165-166).

Tags:heroes, courage, Christianity

Abstract
The paper discusses how the characters Beowulf and King Arthur who appear through literary history in various tales, both possess many of the same characteristics, characteristics found in great heroes. It shows that both of them had quests to protect innocent people from evil; both were blessed by God; both fought with great courage and pride. Although King Arthur had no supernatural powers as Beowulf did, he did possess several comparable traits-- they were both physically strong, morally right, and both shared a passion for what they did. The paper shows that using these qualities, they both protected mankind from evil, both rescued family and friends from evil circumstances, and both gained immortality.

From the Paper
"Every hero, as a general rule, desires to be remembered for more than one heroic tendency. Every hero in World Literature class has at least three common tendencies: to protect mankind from evil, to use his powers to rescue his family and friends from evil circumstances, and to earn immortality via his heroic tendencies. Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon hero, has all three characteristics. His quest is to restore Herot, due to the mass destruction caused by the monster Grendel, the evilest of all evils. Grendel had been terrorizing the city, killing thousands of men in their sleep, depriving them the ability to fight back. King Hrothgar hired the brave knight Beowulf to defeat the creature of darkness. The knight boldly hunted Grendel and fought him with great might. At the end of that particular battle, Beowulf left with Grendel's arm, his sign of triumph. Nevertheless, Grendel's mother became furious over the death of her son, and decided that she needed to prolong her son's rampage. She began the slaughter of innocent people in Herot. Beowulf commenced a brawl with her and soon had her head."

Tags:Herot, Grendel, Mordred, Sir, Bedivere, the, Bold

Abstract
This paper discusses the various sources on which Sir Thomas Mallory drew to create the version of the legend of King Arthur that is known today. The writer provides an overview of the historical background for the Arthurian legend and the evidence that exists for a historical Arthur. The writer explains the medieval traditions of courtly love and of chivalry that Mallory incorporated into his book and his legacy of the knightly ideal that was detailed by Chaucer in his "Canterbury Tales," and in the fourteenth-century poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

From the Paper
"The account that did the most to establish Arthur as a prominent historical figure was The History of the Kings of Britain written in 1135 by Geoffrey of Monmouth, a Welsh monk, and the book provides a history of the earliest kings of Britain, some 99 in all, including King Coel, known to us today from the nursery rhyme as Old King Cole. About one-fifth of the book is devoted to Arthur, and Geoffrey provides the first organized version of the story. Many of the elements that would be part of the later tradition were missing, however. Arthur's court is not at Camelot but at a place called Caerlon-on-Usk, or City of Legions. Geoffrey contributed at least three new elements to the existing histories of Arthur--he supplied Arthur with a family tree, told of Arthur's association with Merlin, and described his burial at Avalon."

Tags:Nennius, Dark Ages, Celt Merlin retelling passion Beowulf battle Avalon Camelot

Abstract
This paper discusses how masterpieces of English Medieval literature help us understand the relationship between people and standards of behavior that were considered proper and ethical all those years ago. It shows how in particular from the books "Beowulf" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" we can learn how foreigners were accepted and of the customs at the courts by analysis of the arrival Beowulf and the Green Knight at the courts of Kings Hrothgar and Arthur.

From the Paper
"It is worth noticing that Beowulf did not reveal his name to the guard. Obviously at this point the information about his"birth and breeding" is much more important than his name. After this "passport control" Beowulf with his band are brought to the king's herald who in his turn organized them a meeting with king Hrothgar. All these precautions indicate order, hierarchy and subordination at Hrothgar's kingdom and court. At the court of King Arthur (as it is described in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) the situation is quite opposite. The Green Knight appeared all of a sudden in the middle of the celebration of the Christmas in Camelot."

Tags:medieval, romance, kingdom, camelot, round, table

Abstract
This paper examines Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", which presents a humorous picture of the sixth century A.D. The paper asserts that, in the story, Twain not only ridicules the customs and traditions of this ancient British civilization, but he also criticizes his present day American society, making it unclear as to which group Twain was indicting in this novel. The paper concludes that, by creating an "all American" character such as Hank who is proud and almost egotistical about the advances of his time, Twain is able to point out how much some "good old American know-how" could have improved Camelot and the lives of the people living in it while also taking subtle jabs at the American people's overt self-confidence.

From the Paper
"Throughout the novel, Twain continuously pokes fun at the gullibility of the extremely religious people, from King to commoners, which he meets during his journey. He becomes "The Boss" simply by using knowledge and skills he had from his more advanced era to come up with different ploys that will fool them into thinking of him as mighty and powerful. For example, when a water well in a community of monks is not filling with water, the monks all assume it is a punishment from God and are shocked when "The Boss" says he can magically solve their problem and refill the well with water. He recalls a time in America when an oil well had ceased to flow. Dynamite was used to blast it out and allow the flow to continue. This would also cause a sudden surge of water that would astonish those present."

Tags:history, critique, monarchy, America, Britain

Abstract
This paper examines the ways in which Twain used wit, repartee, and an engaging cast of characters in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" to make a strong statement against imperialism. It also looks at how some of his other works, like "Huckleberry Finn," also have social messages against slavery.

From the Paper
"Twain's novel suggests that when different people come together the one with the simpler weapons will always lose: It only takes a handful of imperialists (and indeed in the novel it takes only one) to lay waste to the structure of an entire culture. The message of the novel is that meddling is bound to lead to terrible consequences. (Although a secondary reading of the novel might well be that such imperialist meddling is also inevitable.)"

Tags:huckleberry, finn, slavery, imperialism

Abstract
This paper discusses how, in exploring the theme of chivalry in the epic of "Beowulf", "Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Don Quixote", there are three different ways of looking at the code. Chivalry can also be described as gallantry, bravery and honor. A chivalrous man is heroic and well-bred. A knight or a "courtly" man is "courteous". The paper looks at how the code of chivalry is introduced in a straightforward way in "Beowulf". He defeats the monster and becomes the hero. In comparison, the paper examines how in Gawain, the story is a quest epic, but the hero fails the test, and we are led to question the chivalric code. "Gawain and the Green Knight" lends itself to satire, whereby the chivalric code is critically portrayed. Finally, the paper looks at how in "Don Quixote" the chivalric code is presented in the guise of a fool, who sees windmills as monsters, and learns the chivalric way from books.

From the Paper
"Gawain and the Green Knight takes place in the court of King Arthur. King Arthur was known as the most courteous of kings. "More marvels have happened in this merry land than in any other I know, since that olden time, but of those that here built, of British kings, King Arthur was counted most courteous of all" (pg. 1993 23-26) . All of the knight's of King Arthur's court were considered gallant, brave, and chivalrous. But, Gawain's identity is to be determined by his ability to fulfill his quest. He will leave his old identity behind and build a new one. Therefore, Gawain is to be considered most honorable by proving himself, rather than of his noble blood or kinship. He has to show himself honorable in submitting his head to the blow of an axe, and he has to trade with his host what he has won while out hunting. The test is made harder when the host's wife is trying to seduce him. He tries to be courteous the whole time he tells her no, because that is the knightly way. "

Tags:monster, hero, King, Arthur, Sancho, Panza

Abstract
This paper examines the social constructs of comitatus and chivalry as seen in "Beowulf" and "Morte D'Arthur," respectively. What these constructs are and the fate of those who fail to live up to them are examined in this essay.

From the Paper
"Throughout history, there have been different codes of ethics that are often more important to a society that the governing laws of the land. While laws are written standards that people are compelled to abide by for fear of punishment, these codes serve as guideline for how people should live their lives. Two such codes are comitatus as demonstrated in Beowulf and chivalry as depicted in Morte D'Arthur. When the characters in these stories live by the constructs of these social systems, the society flourishes. When characters stray from each social code, however, the entire society falls victim."

Tags:arthur, beowulf, chivalry, codes, comitatus, king, morte, social

Abstract
This paper discusses the similarities in two epic tales from the Middle Ages, "Beowulf" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". The author examines the portrayal of heroism by the protagonists, but also looks at how the stories differs in terms of personal struggle and self discipline.

From the Paper
"The two main characters in each poem, Beowulf and Sir Gawain, are indisputable heroes of the Middle Ages. Both men fought valiantly against super-human creatures and both men underwent great journeys to partake in these battles. However, Beowulf was doing so to rid a kingdom of its wretched terrorist beasts while Sir Gawain's intention was to pass the ultimate test of Chivalry and prove his unquestioned character. The epic poems also both possess some aesthetic similarities such as epic boasting and a feast thrown for a hero."

Tags:beowulf, grendel, hrothgar, sir, gawain, knight, green, monster, hero, arthur, king, bercilak, chivalry, valor, wiglaf, middle, ages

Abstract
This paper investigates the nature of the unheroic in classic tales from the Anglo- Saxon period in English literature. Of note are the saga of "King Arthur" and of "Beowulf", which are discussed in respect to the unheroic characters that are manifest in both works. This paper demonstrates that the unheroic character is not the opposite of a heroic character, but rather embodies qualities that are separate from those of a hero. In demonstrating this argument, it is shown that for a character to embody "unheroic" traits that they need not be villains but rather are a different type of character altogether.