Wednesday, May 13, 2015

What do lines 81-85 of Beowulf and the beginning stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have in common?

Lines 81-85 of Beowulf finalize the initial description of Heorot and allude to the future destruction of the estate in a fiery inferno. Likewise, the first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight chronicles the burning of Troy and connects the far-flung Trojans with the eventual settling of Britain. In a nutshell, both passages deal with the destruction of mythological cities and strongholds. The major difference between the two is that, while Beowulf looks...

Lines 81-85 of Beowulf finalize the initial description of Heorot and allude to the future destruction of the estate in a fiery inferno. Likewise, the first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight chronicles the burning of Troy and connects the far-flung Trojans with the eventual settling of Britain. In a nutshell, both passages deal with the destruction of mythological cities and strongholds. The major difference between the two is that, while Beowulf looks ahead toward a future cataclysm, Gawain delves into the past to recount a mythological event. It's also worth noting that both poems are keen to connect the events of their respective narratives with a place of cultural and/ or mythological significance. By doing so, the poet is able to root or connect the poem to a location that would have been familiar to most audiences, making it easier to connect to story.    

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