In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, Arthur is expressed as a complex character because he has both positive and negative traits. To contrast, Beowulf, for example, is not a complex character because he only has positive traits such as strength, loyalty, and courage. Arthur, on the other hand, has the same traits and he also possesses some negative traits, like bad decision making, losing his temper, and not seeing the bigger picture. This inclusion of negative traits, as well as positive traits, makes for a better character because it is easier for the reader to interpret meaning from, and relate to, a more human-like hero. Since everyone makes mistakes, it is sort of unrealistic to consider a character who has only good traits.
Arthur
