Throughout history, authors have written plays in which "hero" is a recurrent theme. In most stories, at least one character is viewed by others as a hero. To be labeled a hero, a character must possess necessary qualities such as honor, loyalty, bravery, and faithfulness. The authors of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and King Lear present two very different types of heroes. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale about a man in his quest in becoming a hero, as opposed to King Lear who is already seen as a hero. .
Gawain first shows his loyalty to the king by stepping in and accepting the Green Knight's challenge. Gawain takes the axe from King Arthur and says, "Would you grant me this grace?" He shows courage greater than all by coming forward, earning respect of the King and the Knights of the Round Table. After losing to the Green Knight, Gawain keeps his word by returning to the Green Chapel, thus proving his loyalty to his word.
Another heroic quality Gawain displays is his ability to admit his faults. He falls for the temptations of the wife, only thinking it would save his live. After realizing it had no magical ability, he continued to wear it as a sign of his weakness and sinfulness. The King, however, saw it as a sign of his honor. To show their support, Arthur and his followers wear green silk baldrics that look just like the girdle. In their eyes, he had been initiated into knighthood and had grown from young and inexperienced, into Sir Gawain, a respectable knight and hero.
In Shakespeare's play "King Lear," the main character, King Lear, starts off as a respected and powerful king. As the story progresses the king loses his power because of his own stupidity and blindness. He hand over all his power to his two daughters, who he later finds out were plotting against him the whole time. When Goneril and Reagan are in power they try to make Lear appear to be incompetent.
Title: The Tragedy of King Lear. Author: William Shakespeare. Globe theater burnt down 1613 Date of Publication: 1608. Writing Style: Blank verse, prose, unrhymed iambic pentameter, rhyming couplets. Conventions: Asides, soliloquies, puns, subject/verb inversions. Genre: Drama, tragedy. Includes- tr...
While he is out hunting deer the host's wife is "hunting- Gawain. ... The host returns to that palace with a huge catch of deer which he shares with Gawain. The next day the same thing occurs she chases Gawain and the host goes after the boar. ... There is also and issue that if something were to happen between Gawain and the wife that due to the rules of the palace that Gawain would have to perform some sort of homo-erotic act with the host of the castle. ... There is a common theme of the skill of both the hunted animal and the "hunted- Gawain. ...
Structures of power are intrinsic to the play King Lear and its function as a seventeenth century power play. ... The storm scene is symbolic of Lear's spiritual transformation and journey and the narrative of modern madness, and it is through this madness and consequential epiphany that Lear is able to gain insight into the Marxist ideology. ... Essentially, Lear and Gloucester begin with power and end with disempowerment. ... Lear's rash decision to banish Cordelia can be seen to be caused by the absence of maternal figures, causing Lear's blocked capacity for intimacy. ... In...
Sir Gawain Analysis Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains many themes. ... Gawain is the definition of a knight. ... The Green Knight lets Gawain take a blow, only agreeing that Gawain take a hit from him one year and one day later. ... Lady Bercilak plays a mentor for Gawain, also. ... Sir Gawain is supposed to be a flawless knight. ...
Sir Gawain: Hero or Zero In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is depicted as the noblest knight in all of King Arthur's court. ... Time after time, the Lady comes onto Gawain very strongly and Gawain must rebuff her efforts. ... Through Gawain, we examine ourselves. ... Sir Gawain: Hero or Zero In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is depicted as the noblest knight in all of King Arthur's court. ... Time after time, the Lady comes onto Gawain very strongly and Gawain must rebuff her efforts. ...
In stanza 74, fit III of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the lady of the castle offers Sir Gawain a magical green girdle. ... Later Sir Gawain finds three faults in his actions. ... The observer's opinion of whether Sir Gawain is forgiven is the complete opposite of Sir Gawain's. ... Sir Gawain had just given up on God (Howard, p. 203). ... Gawain is let off the hook and sent on his way. ...
At the end of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we encounter opinions of how bad Gawain's sin really was from three sources: Bertilak, King Arthur, and Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain's view of his own sin seems harsh. ... The Gawain-poet refers to Gawain's telling the knights and ladies of Camelot about his encounter at the Green Chapel as a confession of his "cares and discomfitures" (2494). ... He claims that Gawain's morally exceptional behavior impresses him, even though Gawain kept the lady's gift of the girdle a secret. ... He admits that Gawain has flaws, but he spares h...
While he is out hunting deer the host's wife is "hunting- Gawain. ... The host returns to that palace with a huge catch of deer which he shares with Gawain. The next day the same thing occurs she chases Gawain and the host goes after the boar. ... There is also and issue that if something were to happen between Gawain and the wife that due to the rules of the palace that Gawain would have to perform some sort of homo-erotic act with the host of the castle. ... There is a common theme of the skill of both the hunted animal and the "hunted- Gawain. ...
The way in which Sir Gawain demonstrates bravery is when the green knight says to Gawain (pg.81, line-2274) Did I flinch, or flee from you when your blow felled me? (pg.81, lines-2280 & 2281) Gawain replied: Enough! ... The second knightly virtue that Sir Gawain demonstrates in the story "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is courage. ... As the lord is leaving Gawain, (pg.71, line- 2156) Gawain says I'll neither groan nor weep. ... Gawain takes it and doesn't share what was rightfully the lords. ...
