Fear can be defined as many things, but at the time these stories were set, fear was unheard of for a hero. To be a hero, you have to be tough, smart, charming and above all courageous. In Beowulf we find little or no fear. Beowulf himself is a man who takes pride in accepting any challenge that may or may not come his way. It can be argued that perhaps Beowulf's greatest fear is losing the respect of his people if he chooses not to fight. The same cannot be said for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as fear is a much larger theme. Sir Gawain is something of a childish hero; he was the one who, upon his first meeting with the Green Knight, debated whether or not to take on the challenge. Throughout the story, Gawain debates with himself many times over whether or not he should comfort the Green Knight a second time. The funny thing is, reading this story, it seems like every decision Gawain makes is driven by fear. It may be easy to fear the unknown, but for Sir Gawain, the unknown is all he can count on.