The Era of Beowulf and the Arthurian Romances

Only reason and following(a) a cypher of conduct that is considered the social "ideal" enables unitary to achieve heroic status in an ethical path that provides weird or face-to-face happiness. We limit that in both Beowulf and "Erec and Enide" that we are provided with a fairly similar characterization of courage and morality. In each story a by-all-accounts successful buck undergoes a spiritual or moral crisis but in the end is able to transcend the values and reputation of his former self. As the vavasour tells Erec, "you are very valiant and bold," while we are told of Beowulf that his " sev sequencelise was known through the north" for similar qualities, (De Troyes, p. 45; Heaney, p. 3).

We conceive that bravery, respect, glory, generosity, loyalty, boasting, kinship, and protection of property are very important in the warrior societies depicted in these works. We see that in both orderliness communities are tribal in nature and war among themselves continually. The tradition and beliefs of each society revolve around those of the warrior society in which might makes right, so long as one fights with a certain degree of honor and bravery. In each society, temporal passion is continually at odds with heroism and the ethics of spirituality that are embodied in an established code of conduct. In the Arthurian Romances as well as Beowulf, we see that temporal passions are powerful driving forces of even the roughly her

oic or brave knight. In "Yvain" or "The Knight With The Lion," we see that spectacular feats are mix with courtly love and adventures. Yvain has tendere a promise to Laudine, and goes mad when he is reproached by this fair sex for failing to fulfill his obligations to her. He is befriends by a lion, cured of his madness, and rescues various unfortunate ladies. For instance, he rescues Lunette, who is to be burnt at the stake because of his desertion and it is this woman who reconciles him with Laudine. Lunette knows Yvain is heroic, loyal and true, "So now I lead tell you the whole truth, and you'll realize that you have ne'er had and never will have a better friend than this knight," (De Troyes, p. 379).

He finally becomes her husband, fulfilling his vows of fidelity and at least realizing his desire.

Honor and shame are closely aligned in either the pagan or Christian version of the heroic and ethical in medieval works of literature. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain the knight is the head repository of honor after departing the knights of the Round Table. His moral and spiritual quest is one that ends well because he is able to propel beyond the shame he causes himself by not safekeeping his promise and by allowing himself to be the dupe of women because of his temporal desire. As Burrow (p. 121) argues of the symbolic nature of Gawain's characterization, he embodies the "collective honor of the Round Table" and "when he plights his troth to fulfill the cost of the Green Knight's contest, his word of honor carries with it more than his own personal reputation for integrity." However, we see that despite Beowulf being held up as the ideal hero and man of ethics, the spiritual quest of Perceval, Roland and others is slay from Beowulf's society as it pertains to Christianity and the Christian God. Beowulf's qualities are the qualities of an earlier era and society before its transformation to Christianity but even its purpose toward paganism i
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