In the Old English poem Beowulf, warrior culture centers on heroic codes. Those who are members of Hrothgar's court are classified according to the identity and reputation of their ancestors. It can be said that the armor of these warriors, as it has traveled from generation to generation and from warrior to warrior, is emblematic of the very reputation that these warriors value most. Armor also plays an important role in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It is representative of the virtues that Sir Gawain is challenged to uphold, and, on a larger scale, it is also symbolic of the test to which the entire system of chivalry is subjected. Thus, the two poems, although different in plot and some general cultural characteristics, contain an armor motif that opens the door respectively to themes concerning the importance of ancestry and reputation, as well as to the themes of chivalric chivalry and Christian morality .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Since Beowulf is fundamentally a documentation of heroic deeds, the identities and reputations of those who have performed and will perform these acts are clearly central to the interpretation and understanding of the poem. In the opening passages, the reader enters a world where every male figure is known as his father's son. Characters constantly reference lineage when identifying and discussing their backgrounds. The presence of this important concern with ancestry in the warrior cultures of the Geats and Danes can be attributed to the poem's central focus on kinship ties. Men are proud of ancestors who acted courageously and achieved laudable status among their relatives. Furthermore, these men are given a set of standards to meet that are based on the performance of the aforementioned ancestors. Upon further examination of the values ​​of Beowulf's warrior culture, it is evident that the armor provides a similar historical link to the ancestry of these men. In a sense, the history of a warrior's armor parallels and reflects the history of the warrior himself, not only in the details of its craftsmanship but in the results of its performance. Simply put, “…the troops themselves were only as good as their weapons” (40). Thus, the historical aspects associated with armor in Beowulf directly correspond to the theme of the importance of a warrior's reputation. With the armor comes the story of its performance from generation to generation, and this story opens the topic of the reputation of its owner. the armor. Although a warrior's legacy provides models of heroic and noble behavior and helps establish one's identity among kin, it is shown throughout the text that a good reputation is the key to solidifying one's identity. As the narrator so astutely points out in the poem's prologue, "admired behavior is the path to power among people everywhere" (34). Beowulf boasts that he is a great warrior and then backs up his claims by defeating Grendel; he is then celebrated and welcomed among the warriors as a hero. Unferth, by comparison, boasts idlely, ultimately proving reluctant to fight the monsters. Therefore, although boasting of heroic abilities is important in the overall construction of warrior culture, it is a hero's actions that define his reputation. Take, for example, Shield Sheafson. Orphaned at a young age and therefore without a father to contribute to the creation of his identity and reputation as a warrior, he is left to form his own identity by performing numerous valiant deeds for whichhe will gain fame and be remembered. He uses his outstanding performances to help shape his reputation and eventually becomes the creator of the Danish royal line. It is also important to note the weapons in relation to its aesthetic details. From the beginning the reader is shown the importance of armor through the detailed descriptions given by the poet. When the Danish guardian finally offers to lead the Geats to Heorot, the reader is shown the “boar shapes” that “flashed/ above their cheeks, the brilliantly wrought work/ of the goldsmiths, who watched/ over those stern-faced men ”. (40). Boars imprinted on helmets give warriors an additional form of protection, and it is almost as if the animal is with him as he marches into battle. Furthermore, when the warriors arrive in Heorot, they are presented as apparently worthy of attention, for "from their weapons and their office, they seem well-born and worthy of respect" (41). The role of armor in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is somewhat similar, although it works to advance the theme of knightly chivalry more than the themes of reputation and heritage. However, it could be said that adhering to chivalric ideals contributes to the creation of one's overall identity and reputation. In this poem, Gawain's shield is undoubtedly the most important piece of armor introduced thus far. At the heart of his protective gear, the shield is the perfect symbol of the virtues and ideals to which Gawain aspires: generosity, courtesy, friendship, chastity and piety. The pentangular on Gawain's shield represents the formation of the endless knot. The side of the shield facing Gawain when he wears it has the face of Mary, another important aesthetic aspect. The shield therefore represents not only the deep heavenly protection of Christianity that was central to chivalric culture, but also protection from earthly harm through the security of Mary, a maternal figure whose womb signifies a place of safety. While it is clear that Gawain's accession As these virtues are put to the test throughout the poem, it is entirely possible that there is something more being examined than just personal virtue. Ultimately, Gawain's shield symbolizes not only the test he personally endures, but a test of the chivalric system as a whole. King Arthur's court depends heavily on the code of chivalry, which seems to value appearance and symbols more than actual legitimacy. Arthur is presented as the “politest of all,” a clear indication that people in this court are ranked according to their obedience to a particular code of behavior (163). The first time the values ​​of this code of chivalry are called into question is when the Green Knight defies the court, ridiculing his knights for being so apprehensive at mere words. This suggests that perhaps words and aesthetics have too much power over the knights of King Arthur's court. In search of the Green Chapel, Gawain travels from Camelot, land of the only code of chivalry he has ever known, into the desert, a place where he is forced to abandon these familiar codes of chivalry to find the means of physical comfort necessary for his survival. Once Sir Gawain prays (specifically Mary) for help, he is immediately rewarded with the sudden appearance of a magnificent castle. Upon entering this new and heavily fortified castle, Sir Gawain discovers a new form of chivalry, based more firmly on the values ​​of truth and reality. The people who make up Bertilak's court are firmly tied to nature, as is seen in the way Gawain is greeted by the servants who kneel on the “bare earth” (179). The importance of this, then, is to note that the., 2006. 160-213.