Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Essay

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem written by The Gawain Poet about medieval times. During medieval times poems often idealized and glorified knights, which people expected to obey a code of chivalry. In the poem the protagonist, Sir Gawain receives a challenge from the Green Knight. Sir Gawain cuts off the Green Knight’s head, they meet at the Green Chapel for the exchange of winning, and finally part their own ways. In a passage from the poem, the poet’s use of literary devices, such as imagery and diction, make Sir Gawain seem very honorable and modest, as well as to display an overall theme of chivalry.
Sir Gawain in search of the Green Chapel stays at a castle nearby for three days. During the course of his stay, the lady of the chapel tries to bribe Sir Gawain with gifts such as “ a ring of the yellowest gold and… a stone like a star from which flew splendid beams like the light of the sun” (190-193). Sir Gawain instead of accepting the gift, shows his honor by kindly refusing her offer. The hyperbole used to describe the ring and as well as the simile to describe the gem of the ring, exaggerates its importance and makes it seem more luxurious. The exaggeration of the importance of the ring dramatizes the tone of the passage and will also effect on the image of Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain kindly refuses the lady’s gift by saying he has “nothing to give” therefore it would be “ wrong to take gifts in turn’’(194). The poet uses hyperbole by saying that Sir Gawain himself doesn't have anything to give in return. This displays that Sir Gawain uphold his chivalry and follows the code of knights by kindly refusing her gift. Sir Gawain most likely can someone repay the lady for her gift, but he’s modest and states that he can’t offer her anything. The exaggeration of the ring as seen before makes Sir Gawain’s act of refusing the gift seem more