Comparing the Hero in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the...

Beowulf and Sir Gawain – True Heroes Heroes come in many forms. The construction of the heroic has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the hero personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds. The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes†¦show more content†¦The story of Sir Gawain works on an opposite level from that of Beowulf. Just as Beowulf emphasizes outward strength, the character of Gawain stands as a paradigm of inner strength as a path to outward glory. The battles Gawain fights occur inside his mind. The chivalric code is one concerned with honor and duty within a society of corruption and sin. The role of chivalry was one concerned with example. A chivalric Knight, such as Gawain, must abide by the inner code of morality in order to remain true to his self, his lord, and his God. Sin, for Gawain, would begin in the mind, and lead to dishonorable deeds in the outside world. Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain travels on a path which is as much one of inner contemplation, as it is of actual travel. We see Gawain at the beginning of his journey being,...faultless in his five senses,/Nor found ever to fail in his five finge rs,(640-1). Gawain’s traits being likened to the five wounds of Christ sets up his eventual fall from the very start. However, like Christ, Gawain is reborn to a new life through the scratch the Green Knight gives him (2312). From that small wound, Gawain realizes that he cannot live up to the perfect image of chivalry he has sworn to uphold. To Gawain, this wound comes very close to being the death knell of the entire moral system Gawain has dedicated his life to. As both theseShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight And Beowulf1471 Words   |  6 PagesThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary states a hero is â€Å"a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.† A hero is looked up to for the brave and noble things he or she has done. Although the characters and plots of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† and â€Å"Beowulf† differ greatly from each other, the key themes of each of these works are quite similar. In both tales, the reader meets a hero who is endowed with mental, physical, and spiritual gifts that equip him for the task of confrontingRead MoreEssay on The Changing Concept of Hero988 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the hero was first struggling to be defined, there were many different observations and opinions readily available to be thrown into the melting pot of the definition. Because there was no television, the heroes in the beginnings of British Literature were spoken of and read about then passed down through generations. Reading these stories in this day and age is interesting to look at because we can trace the difference in the heroes throughout Beowlf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and TheRead More A Comparison of Perfection in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1077 Words   |  5 PagesPerfection in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The heroes of both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are fighters. However, the traits they have in common are far less numerous than those that set them apart. As each of the two is dubbed perfect by his contemporaries, it should be possible to draw the picture of both the model warrior and the paragon knight by comparing Beowulf and Gawain. The first question to arise is that of leadership. In Beowulf, the hero is referred toRead MoreThe Heroes Of Beowulf And Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay2116 Words   |  9 Pagesin his monumental work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Such narrative poems as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight represent what the Anglo-Saxons and the Middle English saw as both acceptable and non-acceptable demeanor. Both works possess the same values and beliefs while others, distinctly oppose, something that can be clearly observed through the careful archetypal study of the heroes of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In Beowulf, the hero first embarks on his journeyRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight contains ambiguity and irony that make it interesting to read and teach. Gawain’s conflict arose when he accepted the girdle that could protect him and when he lied to his host, severing fellowship with the lord for courtesy with the lady. By utilizing a social reconstructionist philosophy of teaching that emphasizes personal beliefs and ethics, a teacher will help the students establish their identities and learn to appreciate classic literature. Sir Gawain and the

Dr. Zieff And Alexandria - 1167 Words

Results While both leaders came from different backgrounds than public health, Dr. Zieff and Alexandria have similar experiences with leadership. As a woman and a woman of color in a high leadership position, they experience discrimination and prejudice from people. Discussion about relationships emerged from both interviews. Dr. Zieff and Alexandria talked about collaboration and role models. The women also have strong values such as respect, empowerment, and observation. Different Backgrounds Neither participant came from a background in strictly public health, but both eventually became leading professionals in the field. Dr. Zieff started her graduate career in exercise physiology. However, she found that laboratory and clinical approaches did not appeal to her. She became more interested in social sciences, gender and cultural identities, attitudes, and behavior. Alexandria graduated with a degree in journalism and public relations. She stated that her PR role involved influencing people to buy more stuff, but she wanted to move away from it to make her work more meaningful. Both of these experiences shaped their leadership styles. Discrimination Dr. Zieff and Alexandria experienced forms of discrimination as a leader. Neither allowed their gender or ethnicity to discourage them from effectively leading and performing their job. Beyond experiencing biases against women, Alexandria faced discrimination as an African American woman. Through the inequity against her,

Perfect Vacation free essay sample

I am a loving devoted father of six children, four boys and two girls. I spend the majority of my time working and attending school. Whenever I have any free time, I enjoy spending time with my family. I like to make memorable events for my children, for them to carry with them during their lifetime. Two of my children live in Houston, Texas and I do not get to see them as much as I like. Im currently planning the perfect vacation for my children and me to enjoy each other as well as explore any new adventures. The vacation will start as a road trip with four of my children and my fianc © from Tampa, Florida to Houston Texas to pick-up two of my children Marlon and Mia. We will ride in my grandparents upscale Recreational Vehicle and explore many of the Southern states. After we retrieve Marlon and Mia we will head back to Florida. We will write a custom essay sample on Perfect Vacation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Since my children enjoy the attractions in Orlando, we will start our adventure at Universal Studios. Ill make sure were the first family in line when the park opens. The entire day will be spent at Universal Studios and we will make an attempt to walk every area of the park. That night we will adventure to City Walk and have dinner at Arabian Nights where we will enjoy the scenery and take pictures for our family scrapbook. The next morning the family will enjoy breakfast together before we head to Orlandos indoor skydiving. We will take the course as a family and conquer our fears of heights and enjoy skydiving as a family. The entire dive will be hotographed and recorded as well as added to our family vacation scrapbook collection. The next stop on our list is Sea World. My children love animals of the sea, so this is the perfect attraction for our entire family. This attraction is not only fun, but it also is educational. We will get up-close and personal with the animals and enjoy every moment of it. We will whine down our vacation by taking a trip to the bowling alley and having a family fun competition of boys against girls. We will also take a trip to the movies to see the latest hit movie. Being a good father is a hard Job and working hard to plan a worthwhile vacation pays off. Vacations have to be thoroughly planned and followed through. If any event does not go as planned in the slightest way, I will have seven disappointed faces to answer to. This will be the perfect vacation for my family. It will create lasting memories and stories will be told for years on how great of a Job Dad did to make this vacation happen. The only problem I will encounter is how to make the vacation of years to come top this one.

Tragic hero Essay Example

Tragic hero Essay The Crucible as a drama effectively explores and treats the problems of envy and jealousy. These two problems are personified by the character Abigail. Abigail is vehemently jealous of Elizabeth Proctor and of course, her relationship with John Proctor, and in Act One drinks a charm to kill her. As this initial ceremony is what sparks the witch-hunts in Salem, it can be inferred that the jealousy evident in the play is the cause for all of the other problems that arise with the witch-hunts. This jealousy throughout the play causes hysteria and panic Elizabeth, knowing that Abigail wants [her] dead fears that she will be suspected in the witch hunts because of Abigails jealousies. This is indeed what occurs, Abigail utilising the agency that she gains during the trials to her advantage. However, the background of Abigails character must be explored in order to completely understand this jealousy and will for attention and love. Abigails parents were brutally murdered, and she was left as an orphan under Parris strict household. The nature of her jealousy, therefore is centres a will for affection and love. This problematises Abigails upbringing, thereby failed parents are revealed and problematised. The audiences response to Abigail identified with the tone of the play and with the manner in which envy is treated in the play with sympathy, but condemned. Other characters however, are not viewed as sympathetically. The Putnams also represent envy and resentment. Ann Putnam is resentful of Rebecca Nurse and her healthy family and this leads to Rebecca Nurses imprisonment and hanging. Thomas Putman represents envy in his constant struggle to gain more land. In this case, however, the audience condemns them. As members of the upper-middle class they do not attract sympathy for their actions. The problems of envy, jealousy and resentment, are condemned in Millers The Crucible and although partially justified in the case of Abigail, are deemed unacceptable by the audience. We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic hero specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Millers drama The Crucible, the need to maintain a good reputation and personal integrity is explored and problematised, revealing the superficial nature of the contemporaneous society and any applied society. John Proctor, who in Act 4 decides to hang rather than have his name be blackened typifies this trait. For this, he is immediately perceived as a character of high morals and the tragic hero of the play. However, the motives behind this high morality are exposed too. John Proctor, when deciding he will hang reveals his obsession with his good name. Although John Proctor is happy to sign the confession, he will not let it hang on the church door and this brings him to tear up what he has signed. This action represents superficiality and is problematised. The nature of the public eye, particularly the gossiping nature of Puritanism represented undermines the judicial system and ridicules it. In this, the society of Salem is condemned by the audience for its theocracy and that prive and public morality are one. The character John Proctor, although viewed as essentially good and condoned by the audience has motives to appear perfect in the public eye, an obsession that is problematised, and ultimately results in his death. Giles Corey, another character essentially viewed as good also refuses to give into the pressure of society and indeed the pressure of the stones that pressed him and clung to his personal integrity when refusing to name those whod signed an affidavit as to the good nature of Elizabeth Proctor, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse. This personal pride borders on the edge of stubbornness and for this reason is problematised. The result of this pressing is the Corey dies, which although tragic, allows the audience to understand that he did die in vain, and with regards to the symbolic nature of the text understand that Giles Corey gave in to societal pressure like John Proctor, resulting in his downfall. Although the values of a reputation and the importance of personal integrity are maintained throughout the drama, obsession with these traits is problematised, resulting in death and destruction. A significant moral problem that is raised in the drama The Crucible is moral uncertainty, and it is explored and treated as the drama progresses. The original John Hale spoke of a conscientious endeavour to do the thing that was right. This is true of the nature of the Coreys, the Proctors and the Nurses in the play, and to an extent the judges who believe it is G-ds work [they] do. Yet these characters have difficulty in determining what exactly is right and what exactly is moral. Repetition is utilised in order to illustrate this problem. The repetition of the phrase I think indicates this uncertainty. In Act Two, for example, Elizabeth says in succession The towns gone wild, I think, I think you must go to Salem, John. I think so, and when referring to the court I think they must be told. To this, Proctor answers Ill think on it and I think its not easy to prove shes fraud. All of this suggest an uncertainty, not only to the whole situation of the witch-hunts in Salem but to societys inability to make correct judgements, and the uncertainty that society displays about what is right and wrong and what each individuals position is. This insecurity and inability to make clear concise decisions and the moral uncertainty of these decisions escalates the conflict within the drama, revealing dilemma and thus making the drama more effective. Unconsciously these characters ignore what they feel is right, and instead depend on the views of the persuasive society to do what they think is right. For example, Judge Danforth refuses to believe that the girls might be frauds and he has been making the wrong judgements throughout the play and sentencing innocents to death. The problem of moral uncertainty represented throughout the play through repetition, characterisation and conflict allows the audience to condemn this uncertainty. The audience is also able to view the destruction of characters and society itself within the play as a result of this lack of moral conviction and integrity. The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is an effective medium in which a variety of social and moral problems are raised. These problematised issues are typically treated in two ways. Firstly, in the case of problems raised such as gender and class inequalities, traditional roles are often maintained, but varied slightly in order to create confusion and complications. These complications allow these problems to be raised and condemned. Other problems, such as envy, jealousy and bigotry are vehemently attacked by Miller, allowing the audience to immediately view these issues and others as problematic. While some problems and issues raised are justified for example, Abigails desire for affection relates to her traumatic childhood all in all, the main problems raised in The Crucible are rejected. This is achieved by the use of a variety of dramatic techniques and conventions throughout the drama, allowing the audience to gain insight into the problems evident not only in the Puritan society of Salem, Massachusetts in 1492, but to other contexts be it Millers McCarthyist context, the Nazi Germany period, contemporary society or to any general context where human behaviour and conflict is evident. Tragic Hero Essay Example Tragic Hero Paper John Proctor Tragic Hero? How does he fit in to the tradition of tragic heroes e. g. Macbeth, Oedipus, Hamlet? What is modern about him? Aristotle said that a tragic hero is A man neither entirely good nor entirely bad who through some flaw in his character or through some error of judgement, passes from great happiness to great sorrow. Also said of a tragic hero is an action serious and discrete in itself, a man of some eminence, and a tragic flaw often the result of pride. In this essay Im going to compare John Proctor to other tragic heroes and decide if he falls into the same situation. Macbeth as a tragic hero is married and relatively happy at the beginning of the play but his flaws are ambition and a suppressed desire to be King. This flaw causes him to go from a well-respected Thane to a dead King. Oedipus is born with his flaw; there is nothing he can do to stop it. Although what makes the downfall to great sorrow happen is that fact he tries to avoid the prophecy. John Proctor is a married man with two sons. At the beginning of the play he is looking to expand his farm. He has had a bad time with his wife. We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic Hero specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tragic Hero specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer John Proctor has many flaws in his character, which cause him great sorrow. His affair with Abigail is one of his flaws especially when he wants nothing more to do with her. Abigail holds a grudge on John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth and when the hysteria starts she has a chance to get revenge. John Proctor rarely attends church, which in 1692 was thought of extremely badly. The reason he doesnt attend church is because he doesnt get on with the Reverend Parris. This makes religion one of his enemies. Another of his enemies is wealth, in the form of Putnam. Proctor has had disputes over land with Putnam. John Proctor believes he is an important, respected figure in Salem and believes he is more powerful than the court and wont get caught up in the hysteria. He doesnt believe in witches and doesnt want a witch-hunt, but by trying to stop the mass hysteria he puts himself in the position of being accused as a witch. When John Proctor comes forward and says the girls are frauds he is too late. He leaves it too late because of his pride; he doesnt want people to know about his affair with Abigail Williams because it will ruin his reputation. When John Proctor does finally admit to the court the girls are lying, the court want to believe but it would mean they had already killed too many innocent people. A tragic hero often has a choice over what happens in the end. In the case of Macbeth, he does not take the easy option and run away but waits until he is found in is castle and is killed. Oedipus has no control over what happens to him in that he was unaware he slept with his mother and killed his father. However, Oedipus does choose to gouge out his eyeballs, a decision not necessary. In John Proctors case he has two options to save himself from his death. He could go with Abigail to Boston and run away and avoid death and imprisonment. John Proctor does not like saving himself at the expense of others. Proctor hates hypocrisy, and he comes dangerously close to being a hypocrite himself. He tries to name Abigail a fraud without revealing the information about his affair with her. By the time he confesses it is too late to stop the craze from running its course. At the end, Proctor wrestles with the decision to save himself from the gallows with a confession. He does not want to go to the gallows with the others and have anyone think of him as a martyr because he refuses to confess out of spite. He does not want to have to name the six other prisoners as guilty in his confession because he does not want to save his life by tarnishing the names of others. He does not want his signed confession nailed on the church door because it makes the six convicts look like unrepentant sinners. He chooses to go to the gallows because there is no way to save himself without putting blame on the names of the other prisoners. John Proctor doesnt take the easy opportunities, as dont the other tragic heroes. This is because taking these options is too convenient and goes against literary tradition. Tragic Hero Essay Example Tragic Hero Paper In every Sophoclean drama, there is a hero of some kind.These heroes usually are the focus of the myth.Some examples would be Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, Jason and the Argonauts in the Quest for the Golden Fleece, etc.Characters such as Creon and Antigone of the myth Antigone are also great examples.All of these characters have the qualities of a tragic hero, according to Aristotle.These qualities would be that they are inherently good, have good intentions, recognize responsibility, and accept their fate with dignity.Unfortunately, every hero has a tragic flaw. Creon and Antigone embody characteristics of the traditional Greek tragic hero and the Sophoclean tragic hero, respectively. The traditional Greek tragic hero is defined by five characteristics, thefirst being Aret. Aret is having excellence.Hubris is defines a hero as having excessive pride.At is blind recklessness that heroes may follow because they do not think about what is going to happen next.Nemesis is disastrou s retribution.The tragic flaw that a traditional Greek hero harbors is their excessive pride.This is shown when Creon says, But whoever steps out of line, violates the laws or presumes to hand out orders to his superiors, hell win no praise from me. (AI L746-750)They will not accept defeat and this is bad.Creon of the myth Antigone is a traditional Greek tragic hero.He is also the antagonist in the story. The Sophoclean tragic hero is a character whose rigid and courageous adherence to a set of principles invites their disastrous fate.Their flaw is their rigidity.Antigone is a Sophoclean tragic hero in the self-entitled myth.She would not leave a family member unburied, which in turn breaks her fathers law and proves to bring her doom.

Encana Report Essay

Encana Report Essay Encana Report Essay Objective To find the Weighted Average Cost of Capital for the energy firm EnCana. Finding the firms market value capital structure Value of debt: Short Term Debt: We assume that Encana’s short-term debt is NOT a part of its permanent capital structure because Encana’s business activities are project based (mining, oil and gas) and hence assumedly require different frequencies and magnitudes of short-term debt that vary with each project. Long-term Debt: We do not have the resources to calculate the market value of debt (as we don’t know how many of which bonds there are), therefore we will use the book value which is $6,629m. Value of equity: Barb asks if we can use book value of equity. Considering book value of equity is rarely close to its market value(intuition – book value is just assets less liabilities, whereas market value is value of all expected future cash flows), this is not a viable option. EnCana has 854.9 mil shares outstanding, trading at $56.75. Therefore market value of equity = 854.9 x 56.75 = 48,515.575 (Means 3:1 market to book ratio – can see clearly why you cannot use the book value of equity) Therefore: Debt = 12%, Equity = 88% of capital structure (Apx.1). Find cost for individual capital structure components Historical interest rates are irrelevant in calculating cost of capital, what matters is current yield which reflects the return currently required by investors. Cost of debt Publicly Traded Debt: Yield is 5.81%. We use this yield assuming that since long-term interest rates are the average of short-term rates - amidst 30 years 1-2 years difference should not particularly skew the average, therefore all four long-term bonds should be trading at a similar yield. Other long-term debt: Yield (assuming EnCana qualifies for the prime rate) is 5.25% Therefore weighted average cost of debt is 5.81 x 0.81 + 5.25 x 0.19 = 5.7% (Apx.2) Cost of common equity CAPM approach (SML equation): We know: rf = long term bond yield = 4.20%, ÃŽ ² =1.27 (assuming historical beta is good representation of current beta – problem – only based on 3 years of data) We do not know the risk premium on the market Historical risk premium: Find the average historical risk premium by subtracting average historical risk free rate from average historical return on market: Arithmetic average: 13.9 – 6.5 = 7.4%, Geometric average: 12.9 -5.6 = 7.3% Problems: Bond average is only 1 year bonds rather than long term rates Increase in risk premium can actually contribute to decline in stock market returns Forward looking risk premium Use discount cash flow model to estimate rpM: (Apx.3). We find the growth rate with (assuming historical growth rates are accurate representation of the future): 25yr growth rate = 5.54 %( Apx. 4) Problems: No reason to believe future growth will be like past growth Growth rates sensitive to period over which growth is measured (Apx.5) We use the 25 year growth rate (due to long-term nature) to obtain a rpM of 3.3 %( Apx.6), which seems unusually low considering risk premium generally is within 3.5-6.5%. Which risk premium to use? If we consider that the historical risk premium tends to overstate the risk premium (we are less risk adverse due to various other forms of financial stability), and the five year growth rate of the market (i.e. the current trend) is much higher (if assumed to continue would result in a much higher risk premium, approx. 8%), it is reasonable to take the average of the two: (7.4% +3.3%)/2 = 5.35%. This value for rpM seems more reasonably within the typical range. Using this rpM we calculate the cost of equity: re = 4.2 + 1.27(5.35) = 11% Constant growth dividend discount model , r = + 0.1187 =12.42% Problems: Not a lot of historical data to work off Which model do we use? Considering the extra step of calculating the risk premium in

Critically analyses the role of Resources Manager in Our Business Plan Essay

Critically analyses the role of Resources Manager in Our Business Plan - Essay Example nt of the gym and even their staffs is to provide a customer friendly atmosphere so as to retain their customer base as well acquire new ones through reference of these customers. The business plan of this gym takes into consideration the diverse culture base and different opinions and ideas of people. The plan even encompasses promoting more of environmental awareness and offers services such that it can help the community as well as protects the nature. The businesses aims at providing efficient gym services to all community members at a much cheaper rate and even expand its business operations outside the region where it plans to operate currently. The mission of the gym is to provide services as well as products that can improve upon the level of mental relaxation and also physical fitness of their client base so as to promote a positive living in the region which is already facing obesity and various health issues. The plan aims at acquiring various sources of funds and handling all its resources effectively so that it can provide the best quality services as it not only provides gym services but also provides healthy food and yoga classes for its clients. As a resource manager there are several duties that need to be performed effectively so that all of the resources are well aligned with the business operations. There are various categories of duties firstly is to analyze whether the financial resources that are needed for the business is in sufficient capacity and if it is there then to take proactive measures so that there is availability of additional funds whenever there is a turmoil in the business. The second function is of HR planning to ensure that all of the HR activities such recruitment, retention, training programs, performance appraisal etc., are aligned to the goal of the company and the best of staff members are a part of the team so that quality services can be offered to the customers. The next function is that of design and acquisition of

Opportunity cost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Opportunity cost - Essay Example The word cost in the context of economic production is defined as the opportunity cost of producing any good or service. It is considered to be the value that the factors of production or the resources could have generated if they were utilized for the next best use. In other words the opportunity cost is the sacrifice of the next best alternative that is made by consumption or production of a good or service. Thus when the resources are limited an individual has to make choices between the different alternatives. Accordingly by choosing one alternative he gives up the opportunity for enjoying the other remaining alternatives that he has not opted for. This is known as the opportunity cost of consumption or production. Hence it is the most important element in the context of economic that helps in the determination of the choice between the scare resource and the efficient allocation of the resources. Hence the opportunity cost is not only the money value that is given up for one par ticular choice but also the time costs and the psychological costs that are paid for the non-consumption of a product or service. This can be explained with the following example. A person having $10 may decide either to buy a book or an ice cream. If the person buys a book he would have to give up his opportunity to buy the ice cream and enjoy it. On the other hand if he buys an ice cream he gives up the opportunity to read the book. In both the cases the person has to pay an opportunity cost for choosing one option over the other (Samuelson 17). The concept of opportunity cost is used mostly in the context of production decisions. The main factors of production include capital and labor. Suppose a person works in a factory and he earns $10 per day. On the other hand he could have worked in his own farm and could have earned $ 7 a day and could have enjoyed labor for a longer time. Therefore by