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Sir gawain character analysis
Examine the qualities of knighthood shown by Gawain
Sir gawain character analysis
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Gawain, noble or naïve?
Gawain, nephew of the famed Arthur of the Round Table, is depicted as the most noble of knights in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Nonetheless, he is not without fault or demerit, and is certainly susceptible to conflict. Gawain, bound to chivalry, is torn between his knightly edicts, his courtly obligations, and his mortal thoughts of self-preservation. This conflict is most evident in his failure of the tests posed by the wicked Morgan le Fay. With devious tests of temptation and courage, Morgan is able to create a mockery of the courtly and knightly ideal, through Gawain's failure of these tests. By satirizing the effects of Gawain's inner conflicts, the unnamed Gawain poet reveals that even the best of men are innately selfish and subject to thoughts reprehensible to the chivalrous code.
In order to satirize Gawain's courtly ways, the poet must first convey a sense of chivalric quintessence in Gawain toward the reader, only to later mock that sense of perfection with failure. This quintessence is created in part through the diction used to describe Gawain throughout the poem. He is described as "noble" and "goodly" on more than one occasion, giving the reader a positive perception of the poem's hero (405, 685). This sublime view of Gawain is further substantiated by his noble acceptance of the Green Knight's beheading game, in order to "release the king outright" from his obligation (365). Even among famed knights such as Yvain and Agravain, both worthy of exaltation, Gawain was the first to accept the Green Knight's terms. His acceptance of the beheading game when no other knight would allows the reader to assume that Gawain represents the most noble of Arthur's court. Lastly, even the...
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...mocks Arthur's court and his so-called honor, and is in concordance with Morgan le Fay's plan to make a fool out of Arthur and his knights.
Although Gawain's actions are not chivalrous and makes the court appear foolish, he learns a lesson from his actions. He realizes the disgrace in his actions, calling his own heart "cowardly and covetous" (2374). By taking responsibility for his actions, Gawain allows the reader to forgive him. This forgiveness is allowed because the conflicts within Gawain force him into situations that will result in unavoidable disaster. By showing the reader that even the best of knights is not perfect, the poet reveals that the balance between knightly morals, courtliness, and thoughts of selfishness is able to be breached.
Works Cited
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. by Marie Borroff. London: W.W. Norton and Company, 1967.
Over the course of the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain faced situations that influenced his character which can be taken and analyzed for a teenager today. A teenager typically faces the issue of blending in and accepting who they are in high school, and by viewing Gawain’s experiences and changes, we can use it to adapt along with our peers in school. Initially, he is seen as a humble and unpopular knight amongst every other at the round table in Camelot. However this changes after engaging in a violent game with the Green Knight. Gawain gained fame over the course of a year, and as a result it had changed his initial outlook on his loyalty to the chivalric code, as well as his values on life.
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight has prompted scholars to examine and diversely interpret the medieval narrative. One of the underlying questions that has been proposed embodies the analysis of the relationship between Christian and Pagan ideals and how knightly chivalry is influenced by religion during the Arthurian Romance period. It is no mistake that the two varied religious ideals are intertwined throughout the poem due to the nature of classical antiquity. Amidst the overlap between superstitious rituals and Orthodox- Christian beliefs it is clear that Sir Gawain has a sense of personal integrity guided by a moral compass.
Sir Gawain is presented as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. He is the perfect knight; he is so recognised by the various characters in the story and, for all his modesty, implicitly in his view of himself. To the others his greatest qualities are his knightly courtesy and his success in battle. To Gawain these are important, but he seems to set an even higher value on his courage and integrity, the two central pillars of his manhood.
In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, our main character is faced with a challenge. A
Thesis Statement: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight shows the struggle between a good Christian man against the temptations of this world.
John F. Kennedy had many eventful things happen while he grew older. Kennedy got his education by going to, The Choate School and Harvard College. After his graduation from, Harvard he joined the U.S. Navy and entered World War II. After his patrol boat sunk, he swam himself to safety, then going back to the sinking boat and sacrificed his life to save injured in the boat. However Kennedys brother, who had also been part of World War II died while, fighting in Europe, which made john “next in line” for political leadership within the powerful Kennedy Clan.
"John Fitzgerald Kennedy." Historic World Leaders. Gale, 1994. Biography in Context. Web. 9 Jan. 2014. Article.
Born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 29, 1917, John F. Kennedy was among the very wealthy families in his area. Attending many private schools while growing up made Kennedy try and do his best in everything he did. In the meantime, Kennedy’s parents were succeeding. His father, a successful banker on Wall Street, was making a fortune from the stock market after World War II. His Mother was a very beautiful debutante. Kennedy was surrounded by many influential people in his life. His grandfather served as a congressman and as the mayor of Boston. Kennedy’s parents came from Boston’s most prominent Irish Catholic Political families. With many influences in politics is was almost obvious he was bound to go into politics like the rest of his family.
In the anonymous poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is portrayed as the imperfect hero. His flaws create interest and intrigue. Such qualities of imperfection cannot be found in the symbol of the pentangle, which he displays on his shield. This contrast between character and symbol is exposed a number of times throughout the poem allowing human qualities to emerge from Gawain’s knightly portrayal. The expectations the pentangle presents proves too much for Gawain as he falls victim to black magic, strays from God, is seduced by an adulterous woman, and ultimately breaks the chivalric code by lying to the Green Knight.
Of all the themes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the one which stood out the most to me was that of deception. With the Green Knight, the “evil” and Sir Gawain, the “good”, we see both forces partake in deceptive practices to achieve the desired outcome they sought. Throughout the poem, Sir Gawain’s moral compass was constantly being tested with deception being used to gage his level of loyalty, morality, and chivalry. The “game” that the Green Knight was hell bent on playing was not an honest one. He utilized a host of deceptions to gain the results that he sought after—there was little to no room for error with him. First, he presented a challenge in which he alone knew that he would not perish. When he asked for a volunteer to strike him with the ax, the Green Knight
Sir Gawain's inner values and character are tested to the fullest and are clearly defined in the text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The unknown author describes Gawain and the other knights as "Many good knights" (Norton 159), and he is referred to as one of the "most noble knights" (Norton 159) in King Arthur's land. This claim by the author is solidified by a challenge presented by the evil Green Knight, who enters the court of King Arthur and asks him to partake in a Christmas game. Sir Gawain, after hearing this challenge, asks the king if he may take his place. This represents that Gawain is very loyal to his king. Sir Gawain is also an honest knight in the text because in a year's time he ventures out in search of the Green Knight to endure a blow with the ax as the rules of the game were stated. He very easily could have not have carried out his end of the bargain by not traveling to the Green Chapel to meet the evil being, but Gawain is an honest knight who is true to his word.
In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Poet Pearl, Sir Gawain, knight of the Round Table, acts chivalrously, yet his intents are insincere and selfish. It is the advent season in Middle Age Camelot, ruled by King Arthur when Poet Pearl begins the story. In this era citizens valued morals and expected them to be demonstrated, especially by the highly respected Knights of the Round Table. As one of Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain commits to behaving perfectly chivalrous; however, Gawain falls short of this promise. Yes, he acts properly, but he is not genuine. The way one behaves is not enough to categorize him as moral; one must also be sincere in thought. Gawain desires to be valued as
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes its protagonist, the noble Gawain, through
He demonstrates goodness at the hand of the Green Knight. He shows courage by accepting what is to come upon him during his voyage. His journey to find the Green Knight is filled with temptations. In the conversation with him and the “Lady”, Sir Gawain showed a Chivalrous code by keeping his loyalty to the king by not kissing his wife. The lady states “if I should exchange at my choice and choose me a husband for the noble I know….would I elect before you”.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight fit in with the concept of a romance; it has all the elements that would make one consider the text as so. The tale holds adventure, magic, a quest and an unexpected reality check that even those who are considered “perfect” are also just humans. The author used this story as a way of revealing faults in some of the aspects of knighthood through the use of intertwining chivalric duty with natural human acts; thus showing to be perfectly chivalrous would be inhuman.