... never would have been the hero he was with only his honor and fealty. Perhaps the most important virtue in this world of newly blossoming Christianity was Beowulf's devotion to god, in a very pagan setting nonetheless. Throughout the narratice, all of Beowulf's victories are attributed either directly or indirectly to god, nowhere as clearly as in his fight with Grendel's mother. "Holy God, who ... sent him victory, gave judgment." It was faith that was the backbone of Beowulf's strength. God was to be both feared and loved. It was the battle of good vs. evil that was the backbone of th...

• Word Count: 613
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... and the Saxons, for he is a Saxon knight who is passionately loyal to a Norman king. The characteristics of women, the portrayal of the supernatural, and the role of Christianity modeled in Ivanhoe can be analogous to the legends of King Arthur, the epic of Beowulf, and the classic code of chivalry. In the ideal English romance, women are central and placed on pedestals, revered and somewhat worshipped ... is actually not a palmer at all, but Ivanhoe in disguise. Each of these religious characters is in some way a fraud, truly revealing the features of the medieval church. Adventure thri...

• Word Count: 1187
• Approx Pages: 5