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Comparing Beowulf, First Knight, And The Canterbury Tales

Decent Essays

The Model of a Warrior
In the days of old, there were many brave young men who were willing to risk their lives to earn their honor. These young men have conquered enemies and won wars, they traveled terrains and have served their Kings to the end. Many of these thanes have been trained to be the model of a warrior. They have been molded by the precedents before them to be the bravest, strongest, most honorable of men, and strive everyday to be the greatest thanes they can be. The characters in Beowulf, First Knight, and The Canterbury Tales, have been the warriors to set the criterion of the model of a warrior. The thanes in Beowulf accurately represents what was, at the time, considered to be the model of a warrior. Beowulf is extremely …show more content…

His bravery is displayed throughout the entire movie, but it he shows why he is brave in the short quote “You must not care whether you live or die” (First Knight). His strength is that of mental strength rather than physical, but it is still very prevalent in his acts. He is extremely intelligent, which is shown when he rescues Lady Guinevere in the woods when she was taken from her carriage. He helps hide her in the woods until her enemies were close enough to where Lancelot knew he would win in a fight against them (First Knight). Lancelot is also a master of the sword; his many tricks and talents with such a threatening tool has allowed him to not only gain a career but also allowed him to protect himself and others in the process. Lancelot proves his talent with a sword when talking to a townsman named John. Lancelot tells that the only way to win a sword fight is by being the only one with a sword (First Knight). Lancelot is strong enough to admit when he is in the wrong, he knows when he is bad for something or someone, and allows himself to leave, in order to make the place or person better. This is shown when Lancelot proclaims “I’ve never believed in anything before. But I do believe in Camelot, and I would serve it best by leaving” (First Knight). Lancelot is strong enough to leave a place that he had come to love. He also fell in love with …show more content…

The Pardoner is a strong willed man, which would be seen as a positive thing in a warrior. The Pardoner does not give up when trying to sell his services, which is shown when the story reads "Now, good men, God forgive you your trespasses and guard you from the sin of avarice. My holy pardon will cure you all, provided that you offer nobles and other sterling coin, or else silver rings, brooches, spoons” (Chaucer). The Pardoner even tries to sell his goods, which he had earlier said were fake, when he proclaims that he carries relics blessed by the pope for all who need pardoning or blessing (Chaucer). The Pardoner is also a very smart man, he lures people into his trap by telling them to get rid of their earthly goods and alleviate themselves from the guilt of their sins. He begins by telling people that “the love of money is the root of all evil” (Chaucer) then tries to convince them to give him their money in order for him to forgive their sins. His intelligence is also shown when he talks about the stories he tells in order to get people's money, "when I preach in churches, I strive for a resounding voice, and I ring it out as round as a bell, for I know by heart all that I say. My theme is and always was one and the same: Radix malorum est cupiditas” (Chaucer). The Pardoner's

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