In both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, the main halls are places of community and celebration. While both welcome visitors, the two halls are very different in structure and function, as described below. In preparing your graphic organizer, note similarities and differences.

In Gawain's tale, Camelot is in the midst of Christmas celebrations. Everyone is dressed in their best clothing.  There is caroling and a great deal of laughter. During the day the celebration can be heard clearly; at night there is much dancing. The knights take part in sporting events, such as jousting, and it is a joyous place.

This king lay at Camelot upon Christmas tides 
With many loyal lords, lads of the best, 
Renowned of the Round Table all those rich brethren, 
With rich revel aright and reckless mirth. 
There tourneyed troopers by times full many, 
Jousted full jollily these gentle knights, 
Then came to the court carols to make, 
For there the feasting was the same for a full fifteen days 
With all the meals and the mirth that man could devise; 
Such gladness and glee glorious to hear, 
Dear din upon day, dancing on nights...

Camelot is decorated for festivities and feasting. There is a high table, and Arthur and his most celebrated guests are eating on the dais. Placed nearby are sideboards with food, and servants are bustling about. Banners of many colors hang from the walls. Trumpets, drums and pipes are being played, while voices join together in song. The noise echoes off of the walls while food is being served, so it must be enormous in size. 

Described as taking place during the Middle Ages, there is a sense of civility and elegance in the Arthurian tales.

Beowulf, however, lives during a much earlier time—a time when life was brutal, battle was a way of life, and death was always lurking close by. 

The mead hall, Heorot, is more like a medieval castle than Camelot is. It is stoutly built based on Hrothgar's specifications:

It came in his mind

to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,

a master mead-house, mightier far

than ever was seen by the sons of earth...

Wide, I heard, was the work commanded...

It fell, as he ordered,

in rapid achievement that ready it stood there,

of halls the noblest...

the rings he dealt,

treasure at banquet: there towered the hall,

high, gabled wide...

It takes the work of many men to complete the mead hall. It is built swiftly. Banquets are held, and treasure is distributed here. We can assume that the hall is rough-hewn, with wooden benches and tables, not glamorous in the least. Rather than jewel-encrusted goblets that we might imagine in Camelot, a "carven cup" is described.

However, while the cup may be carved from wood, the furniture in Heorot is decorated with gold. The hall is towering (high), and wide. Most probably the hearth dominates the room, which is where Hrothgar first greets Beowulf and his contingent of men. 

Heorot is strongly built, like a fortress. The main hall is large enough to house Beowulf's men as they sleep and wait for the monster to attack. When Grendel attacks, he rips heavy doors attached to door frames by iron hinges and moves heavy furniture that is attached to the floor.