From old English to Middle English heroes, we observe many changes. The heroes of the time present their culture and its associated values.
- First,
the Anglo-Saxon hero's major transformation to Middle English is from the
epic hero to the romance hero. These heroes are equal in quality, but this
epic progression to romance is very apparent (Rohen).
- If we
talk about the old English character, Beowulf is the finest example; he
possesses the characteristics such as courage, brutality and he is valiant
in nature which leads him to risky expeditions (Bintley), but if we take
an example of Middle English character of Sir Gawain he also possesses
certain characteristics such as modesty and truth. They both contain
inflexible moralities, but both are different in that Beowulf is inhuman,
brutal, and valiant in nature. In contrast, Sir Gawain is more humble and
cares more about his principal values and ethics.
- An
English hero is viewed as the people's savior in old age. However, later
there was a change in the depiction of the hero in the Middle age because
the hero was no longer viewed as the savior but as the only one who
combats for his principles.
- The
heroes of old English are highly engaged in battles with supernatural
things like monsters and demons. They fight with extreme courage and
boldness and kill the evil in cold blood to save their people. However,
let's look at the romantic hero of the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries. We find that they are bold and have military competency.
However, loyalty is more important as the hero fights to save his
integrities. Similarly, Beowulf fights to save his people; on the other
hand, Sir Gawain fights to save his ideals(Abrahams).
- The
differences in the portrayal of these heroes are due to the significant
differences in their epochs as moving from national union to
feudalism(Jokinen).
- An
epic hero is devoid of emotion; they lack emotions, i-e, any kind of
negativity and sadness they avoid. These emotions prevent the hero from
focusing on the task and cloud his mind. However, on the other hand, if we
look, chivalric heroes contain an understanding of the world as well as
their inner-self through emotions and sensations. He is considered more
logical and intellectual than an epic hero(Maropei).
- In
general, they are both heroes, but they differ in their strengths; in epic
physical strength is more prevalent, whereas, in the chivalric hero,
spiritual strength is given more eminence.
