Combination of religious and s

He does not completely trust upon his chivalry and courage but he also relies on God’s help. The five stars of the pentangle represent the five senses (sight, touch, hearing, taste and smell) and the five wounds of Christ on the cross and also the five joys of the Virgin. Gawain, a courageous hero of the poem, is tested for his integrity. And when he cuts off Grendel’s arm, it only acknowledges his reputation. These are all courtly virtues and each virtue is reinforcing and feeding into the others. Beowulf, the courageous hero of the Danes, seeks for help of God when he performs good deeds for the king. In the pagan society people believed that his courageous deeds will live on in his descendants. He fears for the mortal blow his body must take and accepts the girdle out of his secular concerns. It is meant to serve as a means of protecting him as a physical being which is clearly secular element. However, he does make a mistake by taking the gift from the lady, which eventually appears as a test for his integrity. ” and compares him with Cain from the Old Testament who is also the symbol of evil. He says that fate does not entirely foredoom a man but his courage also influences on fate.