A Comparison of Honor in Beowulf and Parzival :: comparison compare contrast essays

Honor in Beowulf and Parzival Throughout literary history authors have created and restored figures from each(prenominal) times that seem to represent what is admireable and chivalrous. The two literary legends compared in this paper are Beowulf and Parzival. These two figures in their own way recoup within them what is virtuous. At first impression it seems as though Beowulf is the warrior who contains the honor within himself, but as the two characters are compared in depth, it becomes self-explanatory that Parzivals journey through manhood brings him to a much more than alarming and honorable place. Beowulf and Parzivals journeys began on the same path, each fatherless, they strove to search out what they axiom as adventure. They jumped to whet their desires for the unknown and the chance to be a hero. A new-made Beowulf, we learn, ch in allenges a peer to a match of strength. Unferth tells this tale of when for self-respect the pair of them proved the seas and for a tri te boast entrusted their lives to the deep waters, undissuadable by effort of friend or foe whatsoever from that swimming on the sea,(Beowulf,65). Beowulfs stubborn pride lead him even at a young age to challenge what may have seemed beyond his reach for glory. subsequently on, Beowulf hearing the horrific tales of the monster Grendel that had been reeking havoc at Heorot, utterly left his homeland to prove his gallantry. The wiser sought to dissuade him from voyaging hardly or not at all, but the strong-headed Beowulf refused to listen to reason. Unlike Beowulf, Parzival was actually secret from all opportunities of adventure by his mother. She fled to a place where she believed she could escape all traces of knighthood, which she believed to be evil. She was not successful though, and as soon as Parzival set his eyes on the god-like knight, he made up his mind to get away his mother and all that he knew to seek adventure. The absence of her son brood her to an early grave. T his action is one that Parzival was later deemed unhonorable for and one he profoundly regretted. These boys both started out young and refused to listen to the reason of their elders. Against the wishes of the people who were wiser and more experienced, they let their pride and ambition overtake them. This did not show to be a promising beginning for either of them.