The protagonists of both the anonymous Beowulf and Thomas Malory's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are true heroes. 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 their peers, it is possible to illustrate them as both model warriors and ideal knights.

The first question to arise is that of leadership. In Beowulf, the hero is referred to as "prince of the Geats" and "master-friend." This is not without reason: in the times of the epic, if you had the power, the spoils were yours. Therefore, those who wanted to be a skilled warrior had to demonstrate a leader's qualities as well as expertise in combat. As for the knights, they had their appointed ruler (King Arthur), and none thought of challenging him. Neither did any of the knights classify...