In the first chapter of his novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster discusses the idea of ​​a quest narrative. "They [the protagonists] leave because of the stated task, wrongly believing that this is their true mission. We know, however, that their quest is educational. They do not know enough about the only subject that really matters: themselves" (Foster 3). Essentially, while a hero may set out on a journey with a specific goal in mind, they will undoubtedly gain invaluable knowledge about themselves along the way. At first glance, this explanation may seem extremely limited. If “the only thing that really matters” is the hero, why should anyone else read his story? However, authors of quest stories often write to enlighten their audiences about the condition of humanity. Their message might focus on the vulnerable, broken, greedy, or even ignorant condition of humanity. In the poems The Odyssey and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Homer and the poet Gawain send their heroes on a quest to develop the idea that all humans, even heroic warriors and knights, are subject to fault . plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the Odyssey, Odysseus' goal is to return home. At the beginning of the epic, Odysseus finds himself near the end of his journey and is isolated with Kalypso on his island. Although they had sexual relations, Odysseus felt that "the sweet days of his life were passing away in the anguish of his exile, for long since the nymph had ceased to please" (Odyssey 5.159-161). In other words, Odysseus longs “for the sight of his house” (5.229). This pitiful desire affirms Odysseus' goal and the fact that Odysseus is not perfect because he allows himself to be consumed by anguish. Overall, this pitiful desire affirms Odysseus' humanity. However, this realization might come as a shock to Homer's audience. Odysseus is seen as the ideal Greek hero. In recounting his story to the kingdom of King Alkinoos in Book Nine, Odysseus explains that he had sexual relations with Kirke and Kalypso, "but in [his] heart [he] never gave consent" (9.37) . Not only is he loyal to his wife, but he also possesses great combat skill and extremely persuasive oratory skills. When speaking with Eumaios, Odysseus is described as "the master of improvisation" by Homer's narrator (14.228). Despite this compelling set of facts about Odysseus, he is still mortal. Throughout his travels, this truth is revealed. In everything, he acquires a feeling of irresponsibility; he loses his entire crew of men, he is sexually unfaithful to his wife, he breaks the code of honor, he shows pride, he shows impiety, and he preemptively allows his men to go free the wind bag. Specifically, Odysseus' visit to the island of Kyklopes provides an example of many of these behaviors. He violates the code of honor by entering the Kyklopes cave without authorization. After escaping from this undesirable place, Odysseus shouts to the Kyklope: "If ever a mortal asks how you were shamed and blinded, tell him that Odysseus, the plunderer of cities, took your eye: the son of Laertes whose house is in Ithaca! (9.551-552). Here, Odysseus demands recognition of his impressive escape strategy. Although this recognition is well deserved, Odysseus acts out of excessive pride and hubris to obtain it. Odysseus also states that, if possible, he would kill the Kyklope and send him to hell where "the earthquake god could not heal him" (9.573). Questioning Poseidon is a great act of impiety. Allthis behavior is strangely unusual in Ulysses. However, these inconsistencies serve a purpose. The events experienced by Odysseus during this journey transcend a simple arrival home. The goal of his quest is to re-identify himself as the king of Ithaca, a place of civilization, after the long and grueling Trojan War, a place of savagery. Although a strange way to discover this, it must be remembered that growth only results from pain. The gods understood this. Zeus declares that if “Ulysses' destiny is to see his friends again under his own roof,” he “will have no company, neither gods nor men” to bring him there (5.46-47.36). This tactic works well. Not only does Odysseus return home, defeat the suitors, and bring peace to Ithaca, but he shows respect to the suitors. When Eurykleia rejoices over their deaths, he reprimands her: “Don’t sing out loud, old woman. To glory in slain men is not piety” (22.461-462). Odysseus also yields to Athena and “his heart was glad,” an act of piety (24.610). He rediscovers his identity of piety, humility and respect during a grueling journey and is now fit to become king. All in all, Odysseus discovers that he is subject to many faults despite his successful life. On a deeper level, it suggests to readers that no human being is perfect. Likewise, Sir Gawain experiences an equally trying and self-revealing sort of quest. His goal is to find the Green Knight and receive the death blow from his ax because of the "Christmas game" he agreed to play (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I.283). Although a noble gesture on Gawain's part, this agreement displays the idea that Gawain has too much confidence in him since he literally agreed to a death sentence. Similar to the reaction of Homer's audience after realizing Odysseus' imperfection, the poet Gawain's audience might be shocked to discover that Gawain is not perfect either. He is rhetorically gifted, charming, courteous, courageous, noble, selfless, and probably a dashing specimen of masculinity. Gawain's courageous and sacrificial act of taking King Arthur's place in the beheading games suggests a parallel between him and Christ. When he arrives at Lord Bertilak's court, the poet refers to Gawain as "so beautiful a mortal as Christ never created like him" (II.870-871). The shield that Gawain receives to protect him during his journey further develops this idea. The shield has many Christ-like qualities. The shield “shone all red, with the pentangle represented in the purest gold” (II. 619-620). While red represents the shed blood of Christ, gold represents the royal divinity of Christ. Ultimately, the shield represents the moral perfection of Christ. Therefore, this suggests that Gawain possesses moral perfection since "all his faithfulness was fixed on the five wounds which Christ bears on the cross" (II.642-643). Despite this perception, Gawain discovers his humanity in this “quest”. At first, Gawain's resemblance to Christ is confirmed. He valiantly braves the forest and remains faithful to his mission until he reaches "a castle cut out of paper for a king's feast" (II.802). Once he enters the castle, he shows courtesy to Lord Bertilak's court and even agrees to play Bertilak's game. However, Gawain reaches his major downfall on the third day of his stay in Bertilak Castle. The belt that Lady Bertilak gives to Gawain presents him with a means of achieving his goal without also dying. Like any human being who values ​​life, Gawain takes the belt. After the transaction, Gawain “agrees that no one, except himself, will henceforth see it [the belt] in sight” (III.1864-1865). This means that.