Literary Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Throughout the history of fictional writing, cultural values of certain time periods have been expressed and implemented through the depiction of the heroes’ experiences on their journeys and the knowledge they gain by the quest’s end. For example, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a chivalric romance written in the Late Middle Ages, Gawain epitomizes a knight with the characteristics that knights from the Late Middle Ages were expected to possess according to the requirements outlined in the rules of chivalry, such as honor and valor. Likewise, Beowulf, the hero of the folk epic Beowulf, embodies the qualities of an exemplary hero as well as king. Therefore, in both stories, the reader encounters a heroic character that is presented with traits that Anglo-Saxons and the Middle English valued in their culture through their stories’ monomyths, a concept of similar and structural sequences that can be applied to many stories, created by Joseph Campbell. Some of t hese values are carried from the Early to Late Middle Ages and can be seen through the works of both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf. The monomyth map, also called â€Å"The Hero’s Journey,† begins with a hero’s call to adventure. In both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, both hero’s accept their call to adventure with pride and courage. Beowulf has heard of a demon who has caused much destruction in the Land of the Danes for years. Recalling his past with their king, he voluntarily travels toShow MoreRelatedBritish Literature Essay: Macbeth vs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight653 Words   |  3 Pagestheir surrounding history. Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in 1604; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the 1300’s by an unknown author. 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