Acts of loyalty appear multiple times in both tales as the characters are tested and tried through each event. In Andrea Hopkins's compilation the Chronicles of King Arthur, Arthur's loyalty to the Camelot and the ideals that built it are constantly scrutinized as his wife, Guinevere, has an affair with his noblest of knights, Lancelot. He knows of this happening, but chooses to ignore the acts, knowing that the public attacks from it could internally lead …show more content…
While Arthur never enjoyed the fact that Guinevere and Lancelot betrayed him, until he was openly confronted with the situation and forced to determine an outcome, he never willingly acted hostile towards either party (p. 164). After the pair ran away to Joyous Gard, Arthur spoke directly with Lancelot, at which point he "would have been reconciled with Sir Lancelot and would have taken back Queen Guinevere and forgiven all charges against her," (p. 171) had not Sir Gawain again stepped in to force Arthur's hand. Beowulf's relationship with Unferth also portrayed a level of compassion when Unferth gave his sword, Hrunting, to Beowulf to aid him in his battle with Grendel's mother. Beowulf was willing to forget the past confrontation between the two, and accept the sword, promising its return