Compare and contrast the kinds of courtly life desccribed in lines 64-98 of Beowulf (Heaney translation) and lines 37-106 of Sir Gawain and the...

The kinds of courtly life described early in both
Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
(in the Heaney and Boroff translations, respectively) reveal a number of interesting
similarities and differences, including the
following:

• Both Hrothgar and King Arthur possess
  courts that are physically impressive.  Hrothgar deliberately contructs a
  

.
. . great mead-hall

meant to be a wonder of the world
forever . . .
(69-70)

Similarly, Arthur is
surrounded by opulence, including

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. . . a dais well-decked and duly
arrayed

With costly silk curtains . . .
(75-76)

In both cases, the
richness of the surroundings may suggest a kind of materialism as well as a kind of
pride in worldly possessions that may both be open to criticism, especially from a
Christian point of view.

• Despite exhibiting some
  of the pride that is unfortunately natural to human beings, both Hrothgar and Arthur
  seem to be good kings. Hrothgar shares his goods with his loyal thanes (71-72), and
  Arthur seems generous in providing his courtiers with food and in waiting until everyone
  else is served before he himself eats (85).


• Christianity
  is an explicit presence in both courts, as in the public retelling of the Genesis story
  in Hrothgar’s hall (89-98) and in the celebration of Christmas at Arthur’s court
  (64-65). However, it is possible to argue that neither court is as wholly devoted to
  Christian ideals as it should be at the outset.


• Women are
  a much more obvious presence at Arthur’s court than they are at Hrothgar’s, at least at
  this point in Beowulf.


• A sense of
  foreboding and doom is much more obvious at this point in Beowulf
  (81-85) than it is in the initial description of Arthur’s
  court.


• Music is a presence in both courts, as in the
  reference to the harp in Beowulf (89) and in the reference to
  dancing in Sir Gawain (43).


• In both
  cases the youth of the courtiers is mentioned (Beowulf 66;
  Gawain 54-55), an important fact since both poets may be suggesting
  the courtiers are still a bit immature and need to be taught some sobering
  lessons.


• In both cases, members of the audience who knew
  the stories to follow (a group that would include most listeners) would realize that the
  opening descriptions of both flourishing courts are just ironic preludes to the mayhem
  that is about to ensue.