The Qualities of the "Unheroic" Character in Anglo- Saxon Stories.
This paper investigatse the nature of the unheroic in classic tales from the Anglo- Saxon period in English literature. Of note are the saga of King Arthur and of Beowulf, which are discussed in respect to the unheroic characters that are manifest in both works. This paper demonstrates that the unheroic character is not the opposite of a heroic character, but rather embodies qualities that are separate from those of a hero. In demonstrating this argument, it is shown that for a character to embody "unheroic" traits that they need not be villains but rather are a different type of character altogether. 7 pgs. Bibliography lists 4 sources.