Heroism and Humanity in Early British Literature

An important motif in early British Literature is the fall from heroism. This motif is evident in "Beowulf", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", and "Morte Darthur". The heroes who face this conflict (Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and Arthur, respectively) serve as role models in their cultures and the way they handle the conflict determines if the message sent by their behavior is an example or a warning to readers of the texts. Modern heroes in literature and film also face a fall in heroism, and it is because of the heroes in early British Literature that the concept was developed. The thematic value of discussing heroism and humanity will be discussed in terms of heroic and human qualities, and the fall from heroism. Role models in early British Literature have heroic and human qualities, and their fall from heroism provides an interesting moral study applicable to today's readers.
Common heroic qualities found in early British Literature are the characters tend to be young, perfect in behavior, and they return from their quests in triumph. Beowulf is traditionally considered to be the perfect Germanic hero. At the beginning of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", Sir Gawain is the epitome of Arthurian chivalry.
From the beginning of "Beowulf", the title character is introduced as a great warrior and hero, a perfect embodiment of his culture's heroic code. He is young, and kills both Grendel and Grendel's mother single-handedly. The "Beowulf" poet praises Beowulf throughout the poem on his loyalty, courtesy, courage and pride (which also serves as his downfall). Beowulf's military prowess is evident in his boastful introduction to Hrothgar:

“They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies
when I battled and bound five beasts,
raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea
slaughtered sea-brutes. I have suffered extremes
and avenged the Geats (their enemies
brought it upon themselves; I devastated them).” (lines 419-424)

Beowulf returns to Heorot in triumph after slaying both Grendel and Grendel's mother and confirms to the reader his claim to heroism.
Sir Gawain is introduced as one of Arthur's top knights in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", sitting next to Guenevere at the high table during the opening feast. He is overly humble, saying to Arthur:

“I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest;
And the loss of my life would be least of any;
That I have you for uncle is my only praise;
My body, but for your blood, is barren of worth;” (lines 354-357)

This compliment to Arthur contradicts the truth: that Sir Gawain is a great knight with much worth to Arthur's court. However, his humility is taken as an expression of his Christian virtue, and throughout much of the text Gawain's ties to his religion are evident. Sir Gawain's behavior at the beginning of the poem show him to be a perfect model of Christian chivalry.
Heroic characters in early British Literature tended to be most heroic at the beginning of their respective stories, and their behavior served as a model for their contemporaries. While much of early British Literature heroes' early behavior is still imitable, many core values have shifted and it's highly unlikely to see a modern person modeling all of their behavior based on an ancient code of honor. Heroic characters become more interesting when they fall from heroism and their human qualities become evident.
Elements which may contribute to the fall from heroism are the passage of time, a test, or corrupted associates. The fall from heroism often corresponds with revealing human qualities of the heroes. Beowulf's perfect heroic behavior is still evident in old age, even though his pride leads to his demise. Morgan la Faye's tests of Sir Gawain expose his human weaknesses and lead to his less-than-chivalrous behavior. King Arthur's corrupted knights in "Morte Darthur" cause Arthur to lose his kingdom and his life.
Beowulf never falls from heroism in the traditional sense of the term; he is the perfect Germanic hero even as an aged king. His mortality, pride, and desire to update his heroic reputation prove to be his downfall. Before attacking the dragon, he says,

“but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight
for the glory of winning, if the evil one will only
abandon his earth-fort and face me in the open.” (2513-2515)

Beowulf's dying wish is to view some of the treasure horde he paid his life for. His death leaves his people open to attack from other tribes, and in context Beowulf's desire to be heroic outweighed his desire to lead his people, even though he did both well. Culturally it was more important to Beowulf to die a dramatic death in battle than waste away as an old man. The poem alludes that Beowulf's soul reaches Valhalla, to be among his ancestors.
Sir Gawain's fall from heroism stems from his humanity. His fear of dying leads him to take the green girdle from the lady, concealing it from the Green Knight and wearing it in the final confrontation. His acceptance of the sash's supposed powers also show his momentary lapse of faith by accepting pagan superstition, even though he later finds a priest and prays to become a better man. In the denouement and resolution of the poem, Gawain suffers the consequence of his mistake and returns to Arthur's court in shame, insisting on wearing the sash as a badge of his cowardice and lapse of chivalrous behavior. It is uplifting to note that, after his lapse in judgment, Sir Gawain still attempts to adhere to his heroic, chivalrous values.
In "Morte Darthur", King Arthur is convinced to save his reputation by Sir Mordred and Sir Agravain, which lead to the loss of his court and life. The conflict between Arthur and Lancelot, while stemming from Guinevere's infidelity, is escalated by Mordred, Agravain, and Gawain, who instigates Arthur's attack on Lancelot after the pope's truce is made. Arthur often laments the loss of his favored knight, Lancelot, and when he realizes Mordred's deception it is already too late to repair the damage. Arthur's redeeming acts are killing Mordred, who instigated the conflict between Arthur and Lancelot, and by returning his legendary sword, Excalibur, to the Lady of the Lake. Only in death is he reunited with those who are most loyal to him.
In falling from heroism, heroes become more human and more interesting. While their human qualities often lead to their demise, their handling of the dilemmas they find themselves in provide moral lessons to readers. Beowulf provides the perfect heroic model to the very end, Sir Gawain shows us how to retain grace and reputation even in defeat, and Arthur points out the peril in bad counsel. In showing readers their human qualities, heroic characters teach us how to live our lives.
Common human qualities found in early British Literature are the characters tend to be older, flawed in some way, and return in shame, if the characters return at all. Beowulf's pride leads him to fight the dragon alone, and he dies because of it. Sir Gawain's love of life being greater than his love of honor lead him to make his unchivalrous actions, and he returns to Arthur's court in shame, resigned to wear the badge of his dishonor. By following poor counsel from Sir Mordred and Sir Agravain, Arthur drives away his best friend, Sir Lancelot, and wife, Guinevere, and Mordred seizes Carisle at the prime opportunity.
The hero with human qualities is popular because readers are given a role model to emulate, and their serious faults serve as a warning, hopefully leading others to not repeat the same mistakes. Many contemporary heroes in modern literature and movies are far from perfect, and this makes those characters infinitely more interesting and valuable to people than if the characters were flawless. This interest stems from the fact the heroes are flawed, and are heroic in spite of those flaws. Imperfect heroes also inspire people to improve themselves, because heroism becomes more attainable. Various modern retellings of the Arthur tale -- the most human of the heroes in this essay -- prove that such stories are still valuable and interesting to people.
The fall from heroism in early British Literature is important to study because of its application to today's contemporary heroes. Heroes in modern media tend to have an human element or aspect to their personality that people may relate to, and the humanness in the characters make them much more rich and interesting to study.
Role models in early British Literature have both human and heroic attributes, and the study of their fall from heroism provide valuable examples of behavior for modern-day readers. Discussion of characters' heroic and human traits, in the context of their fall from heroism, is applicable in today's society. The heroes in "Beowulf", "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", and "Morte Darthur" provide modern readers with examples of perfect behavior for their respective cultural heroic codes. Studying the actions of Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and King Arthur also provide important historical roots for modern heroes in books and film. The fall from heroism is an important motif in early British Literature.