Sir Gawain is the main character of the story “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” He is considered one of the greatest knights and supposedly shows a humble attitude. Sir Gawain is not perfect, he is human and makes very human mistakes. He is not the worst knight of the round table but he also cannot be described as the best knight there. Ultimately, Sir Gawain is very worthy of his seat at the round table. Furthermore, in the story of the Green Knight, the Green Knight proposes a game to test the knights’ courageousness. The game is that one of the knights has to cut the Green Knight’s head off with an axe if, in return he can also cut off their head in exactly a year and a day. Since no one steps up to take the challenge Arthur himself decides to do it. Seeing this Sir Gawain takes decides to play the game saving Arthur’s life. This shows that Gawain is loyal to his king and he would give his life in order to save Arthur’s.
Later in the story of the Green Knight when it comes time for Gawain to pay the prices of playing the game he
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He proves more than once that he has earned his spot at the Round Table. He always admits to his mistakes and has openly repented for what few and understandable mistakes he has made. In his case all the good he has done outweighs the bad. Gawain, ultimately is worthy of his seat.
Works Cited
Shmoop Editorial Team. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Summary.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/sir-gawain-green-knight/summary.html.
Parfitt, Georgina. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Lines 1-490." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 3 Sep 2013. Web. 3 Jan 2018.
“Sir Gawaine.” King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table, www.kingarthursknights.com/knights/gawaine.asp.
Joe, Jimmy. “Timeless Myths- Sir Gawain.” Sir Gawain, 16 Dec. 2001, www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/gawain.html.
“Gawain Legendary Knight.” Encyclopaedia Britannica,
Phillipa, Hardman. "Gawain's Practice of Piety in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight." EBSCO host Academic Search Premier.
Barron, W.R.J., trans. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.. New York: Manchester University Press, 1974.
As a result, he learns an essential, inescapable fact about himself and human nature - there is no shame in being imperfect. The true test of Gawain's bravery was to bare his neck to the Green Knight and finish their trading of blows. Even with his 'magic' girdle, Gawain flinched the first time. The second and third times he was able to hold steady and accept fate. After the ordeal the Green Knight ridiculed him for his weakness and fear.
The Green Knight begins to mock the court; and then boldly, King Arthur accepts his challenge. Sir Gawain realizes that this should not be the king’s responsibility for there are others present worthy of the challenge including him. Symbolically, this scene can be seen as a Christian standing up for what he believes in. Gawain says, “I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest;/ And the loss of my life would be least of any; (354-355). Here, Gawain humbles himself before his lord, just as a Christian should in prayer to God.
Sir Gawain is, undoubtably, the most varied of the Arthurian characters: from his first minor appearance as Gwalchmei in the Welsh tales to his usually side-line participation in the modern retelling of the tales, no other character has gone from such exalted heights (being regarded as a paragon of virtue) to such dismal depths (being reduced to a borderline rapist, murderer, and uncouth bore), as he. This degree of metamorphosis in character, however, has allowed for a staggering number of different approaches and studies in Gawain.
Sir Gawain was heroic in seeking out the Green Knight to finish the challenge that was brought to King Arthur’s men. “Said Gawain, ‘Strike once more; /I shall neither flinch nor flee; /But if my head falls to the floor /There is no mending me!’” (lns. 2280-2283) There was no physical power that forced Sir Gawain to keep true to his word. Gawain sought out the Green Knight, just as he had promised, and was now about to receive the blow that would send him to his death. This quote shows that Sir Gawain was ready to be dealt his fate, and that he knew there was no way for him to survive as the Green Knight had done earlier in the poem. This shows a very human side to Sir Gawain as he appears somewhat afraid of death, but ready to face it nonetheless. It is this willingness and readiness to accept death at the hand of the Green Knight that makes Sir Gawain a...
Markman, Alan M. "The Meaning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Modern Language Association 72.4 (1957): 574-86. JSTOR. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
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.
8[8] Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Marie Borroff. Norton Anthology of British Literature Vol. 1, New York: WW Norton, 1993.
King Arthur is originally the first person to take the Green Knight’s offer. As soon as he steps up to bat, Sir Gawain jumps in and says he will take the offer. All the people from the kingdom gave him their upmost respect because he was the only knight from the round table willing to jump in and save King Arthur’s life while risking his own. Sir Gawain was a hero in this moment. Later on in the story, Sir Gawain still adheres to the deal and goes to find the Green Knight to be struck by him.
The poem pictures him as loyal and noble, which are good traits to help out with his stay at Lord Bertilak’s castle. First, he exhibits his loyalty right when Bertilak makes a deal with him. What Lord Bertilak stated was “Whatever game I kill in the forest, it shall be yours, and whatever good fortune you come by here, give me that in exchange, whether it is trifles or of something better” (Ridley 65). Sir Gawain agrees to this deal thinking it is a good one. Come to find out Sir Gawain exchanged most of the fortune he got from the castle.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes its protagonist, the noble Gawain, through
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities of a chivalrous knight. He demonstrates that by showing generosity, courtesy, and loyalty during his travels. A mysterious knight shows up at the king’s castle and calls himself the Green Knight. The Green Knight then challenges one to play a game which he challenges the king to strike him with his axe if he will take a return hit in a year and a day. Sir Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge for his uncle King Arthur when nobody else in the castle would. He took the King’s role in the game to protect him from the Green Knight. He must learn to accept his responsibility as a knight, in accepting his fate.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 cho...
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Sixth Edition, Volume One. General Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1993.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Brian Stone. The Middle Ages, Volume 1A. Eds. Christopher Baswell and Anne Howland Schotter. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Fourth ed. Gen.eds David Damrosch, and Kevin J. H. Dettmar. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 222-77. Print.