What is noble and honorable is a principle that applies to every time and culture. Overall a mans nobility is produced by his ideals, and morals. These ideals and morals are characterized as bravery, self- sacrifice, and interest in the well being of others. The noble characteristics being portrayed in the stories are the acts that prove nobility to be a righteous virtue. .
In The Song of Roland: Shame and Honor, we are presented with the moral tensions that a noble hero must face. The dilemma in this story shows the dividing line between military honor, and a mans nobility. Roland is faced with the difficult choice of having shame fall upon him and the French for calling for help, or allowing his men to die when it could be prevented. Although the decision involved a long struggle within himself, he did what no other warrior on that field had the courage to do. He was brave enough to sound the horn without worrying about the consequences that would be bestowed upon him.
The noble act in this is that he was faced with a strenuous duty, but he acted bravely and did what was in the best interest for the people. He acknowledged the fact that they were in need of help and would die if they were left on their own. Roland sounded the horn not for himself, but for the sake of the lives of the others. His courage allowed him to be willing to die at the site after sounding the horn. At this point he did not care if he would be looked upon in shame because his main interest was the safety of the army, and not his own. His nobility surpassed his military honor, and allowed him to act bravely. .
Beowulf was a strong warrior who passed through many wars, and clashing battles. Throughout all his battles he remained noble to the idea that he was fighting for the safety of his people. In this specific part of the epic, Beowulf is faced with the one challenging battle that ends his life. Fighting for his people always appeared in his mind to be an act of bravery, and even more so of self- sacrifice.