The depiction of heroic qualities changed radically from the eighth to the seventeenth century; however, several of the characteristics of individual heroes remained constant. Beowulf protects and is generous to those under his purview (but his pride would have been considered overweening in the sixteenth century), Sir Gawain is courteous to ladies of the court (but his concealment of the girdle would have been considered cowardly to successive generations). Eventually, even the concept of hero is problematical in works such as Paradise Lost. Using examples from at least three literary works studied so far this semester, analyze the concept and characteristics of the “hero.” – No bibliography – Approximately 3-5 paragraph – Use literary source
