Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Virtue in English Literary Classics. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page essay that examines five classic work in English literature that demonstrate the struggle that the protagonist undergoes in coping with issues of morality, pride and ethics. However, the writer places this struggle within the context of the period in which the work was written. The works examined are Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Wife of Bath's Tale, The Book of Margery Kempe and Morte Darthur. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khvireng.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
examination of several classic English works of literature demonstrates that, while this struggle is a persistent factor in human experience, it is consistently affected by the cultural context in which
it takes place. Ones station in life and gender, as well as the societal standards of a particular era all impact how a protagonist goes about equating actions with
a moral standard or ethical code. But also, an examination of these works also demonstrates the universality of justifying actions on a moral basis. Beowulf From the
beginning of the poem, Beowulf is boastful and full of pride in his ability. While later Christian writers would picture this as a sin, Beowulfs boastfulness should be viewed
within the cultural context of the era. The principal consideration for Beowulf and his warriors was honor, bravery and performance in battle. The world of Beowulf is one in which
warriors place their faith in their leaders and in "wyrd," which means fate or destiny. Therefore, the struggle in Beowulf is not with pride, as it might be seen from
a Christian standpoint, but rather from the way in which the warrior faces the challenge of his own mortality in coping with his fate. This warrior ethos is alluded to
when the Beowulf poet writes "Fate always goes as it must" (43) and "Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good" (45). Toward the end
of the saga, in Beowulfs last battle, he is deserted by many of his comrades who courage fails them. The Beowulf poet writes that these men and their families
shall no longer be "receiving of treasure and the giving of swords, all enjoyment of pleasant homes, comfort" (85). It would have been far better for these men, who failed
...