Christian Themes In Everyman, Beowulf, Essay

PAGES
3
WORDS
929
Cite

Here, responsibility leads to good works and, subsequently, a good life. In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," we see Christian values displayed when Gawain accepts his responsibility in much the same way that Grendel does. When examining the story of Sir Gawain, we cannot overlook the importance of chivalry, which is strongly associated with Christian ideals. Gawain maintain the knight's high ideals even when he under pressure. When Gawain is traveling to the Green Chapel, he speaks with God, working out his own fear and uneasiness. The result of this conversation is a renewed sense of honor and a urgency to continue. Another example of how the poet intended Gawain to carry these ideals with him is in the pentangle, in which he describes the five injuries of Jesus and the five delights of Mary. Interestingly, the pentangle a "sign by Solomon sagely devised" (Gawain 625). We are told that Gawain is admirable because of his good in works, which are "devoid of villainy, with virtues adorned/in sight" (634-5). Gawain becomes a positive role model because he is able to think clearly and behave as a noble knight should behave.

Everyman, "Beowulf," and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" possess Christian ideals that are respected by the protagonists in each tale. Everyman is very literal in its expression and meaning...

...

Beowulf and Sir Gawain are not so literal in that the authors of these tales expose Christian beliefs without being as outwardly Christian as Everyman. However, the stories all come to the same conclusion in that they promote responsibility and honor as codes of conduct. These men would not be the same nor would their outcomes been as positive had they not been as strong as they were. It is through their difficulties that they learned the importance of the right thing to do. The message for readers is that we can avoid many pitfalls in life if we look to these characters as models. All stories lead to the fact that honorable behavior is rewarded in life. We should put off the fleeting emotions and thrills that might distract us from our intended purpose, which is to live honorably.
Works Cited

Beowulf." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol I.M.H. Abrams, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 31-78.

Everyman." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol I.M.H. Abrams, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 347-67.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 233-87.

Sources Used in Documents:

Works Cited

Beowulf." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol I.M.H. Abrams, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 31-78.

Everyman." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol I.M.H. Abrams, ed. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 347-67.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1986. pp. 233-87.


Cite this Document:

"Christian Themes In Everyman Beowulf " (2008, October 12) Retrieved April 18, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/christian-themes-in-everyman-beowulf-27684

"Christian Themes In Everyman Beowulf " 12 October 2008. Web.18 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/christian-themes-in-everyman-beowulf-27684>

"Christian Themes In Everyman Beowulf ", 12 October 2008, Accessed.18 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/christian-themes-in-everyman-beowulf-27684

Related Documents

Everyman The Treatment of Death in Everyman Everyman is one of the longest running morality plays during the Middle Ages. The morality plays presented moral lessons and Christian ideals to the illiterate masses. The plays taught the masses how they should be behave and act towards one another in order to maintain a Christina lifestyle (Cummings, 2010). Everyman is a play that is about man's life and his fight to apply Christian

This acceptance reveals the flaw in his moral structure as it is evidence that he has a certain amount of fear of death, which means that his faith is not entirely impervious to doubt and that he is not morally perfect The subsequent encounter between Gawain and the Green Knight reveals much of the strength of Gawain's moral attributes. He is brave in the face of the Knight. The Green

He stated that, "I mean printed works produced ostensibly to give children spontaneous pleasure and not primarily to teach them, nor solely to make them good, nor to keep them profitably quiet." (Darton 1932/1982:1) So here the quest is for the capture and promotion of children's imagination through stories and fables that please as well as enlighten. There is always the fallout that once a child learns to love