Sir Lucan gets critically wounded yet doesn't whine and complain. Instead he insists on helping King Arthur who is also wounded, however not far as seriously as he is. After Sir Lucan fell to his death King Arthur said, " this is to me a full heavy sight to see a noble knight so die for my sake, for he would have helped me that had more need of help than I". All three of these individuals perform honorable acts that demonstrate the quality of loyalty and that is one reason they are considered heroes in medieval literature. .
Another quality that Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and Sir Lucan share is bravery. Before Beowulf's final battle with the dragon he is aware that he is no longer the same fierce, young warrior that he once been, but he remains brave and determined to slay the beast. In Beowulf's final boast he said, "I've known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me". Even though Sir Gawain's character shows qualities of weakness and cowardice towards the end of the story, he can be considered a brave hero for taking on the challenge that the Green Knight presents. Sir Gawain's bravery is shown in the story when his guide urges him not to proceed on his quest for the Green Chapel, but Gawain refuses to take his advice. Gawain believes it would be dishonorable not to fulfill his pledge and continues on to meet the challenge of the Green Knight at the Green Chapel. .
Sir Lucan can been seen as brave for taking on Sir Mordred and his army until he was left wounded with only one other of King Arthur's knights left by his side. He stood up and did what was expected of him to defend his king. .
A third characteristic that the three medieval heroes, Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and Sir Lucan, have in common is the desire to battle the forces of evil and protect those in need of security. In the epic of Beowulf, Beowulf defends King Hrothgar and the Danes from the blood-thirsty monster Grendel.
