In Arthurian legend there are many mystical and important items that have affected the lives of many characters. Some items in particular give the user a type of invulnerability. One item is Excalibur, which is a sword with a scabbard that does not let the person using the weapon shed blood in battle. This helped King Arthur with many battles that he fought. Another item is the green sash. It was used by Gawain when he faced the Green Knight. If they did not have these items, it could have affected the history of the Arthurian legend.
One of the items that makes the wearer invulnerable in some way in Arthurian legend is Excalibur, the sword that King Arthur receives from the Lady of the Lake. Since Arthur’s first sword was broken, Merlin
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Sir Gawain accepts a game in which he delivers a blow on the neck to the Green Knight. In return the Green Knights returns the hit one year later. Sir Gawain receives the green sash from the Green Knight’s wife because she does not want him to die. “The lady then offers him a green silk tunic which can protect the wearer from death. Aware of his impending meeting with the Green Knight, Gawain accepts the girdle, which the lady begs him to keep secret" (gradesaver.com/sir-gawain-the-green-knight). Sir Gawain keeps his word with the Green Knight and takes the one hit to the neck. For Gawain, the green girdle represents his survival. Gawain fails the Green Knight’s test because he did not exchange the girdle with him. This affected Gawain’s code of honor. “The Green Knight urges Gawain to keep the sash as a token of their struggle...He agrees to keep the girdle to remind himself of the ‘fault and frailty of the foolish flesh.’” (gradesaver.com/sir-gawain-the-green-knight). The girdle does not only protect Gawain’s life but also represents the mistake that he made. With this in mind his choices in the future will be sincere and thought through. It will also provide him with a protection just as great as the scabbard that holds
Yet, Gawain did err in accepting the girdle; that much cannot be denied. We, the reader, can forgive him since he repents fully, even going so far as to impose penance (of wearing the girdle eternally as a mark of his fall) on himself. It takes a mild rebuke by the Green Knight to crack Gawain’s façade of confident valor. His conscience compels him to break down when confronted by his host as to his indiscretion. However, this happened only when the host had revealed himself to be the same as the Green Knight. We realize that Gawain had previously perceived in Sir Bertilak an equal in knighthood; thus his ease in deceiving him in the exchange of winnings game. When Gawain realizes he was the subject of a test, he sees Bertilak/Green Knight in a different light. The Green Knight now becomes Gawain’s confessor and in doing so assumes a fatherly role.
The Arthurian cycle shows a sporadic awareness of the impossibility of mere humans fulfilling all the ideals that Arthur and his court represent. The story of Lancelot and Guenevere, Merlin's imprisonment by Nimu‘, and numerous other instances testify to the recognition of this tension between the real and the unrealistic.
The sword just so happened to be a magical one that was blessed by the giants that made
King Arthur and Beowulf are both Heroes that stories originated in the England area. They were written at different times, by a different era of people, but some of the core ethics are present in both stories. Both heroes were admired because they saved a whole group of people. King Arthur and Beowulf were also leaders, Beowulf was king of the Geats, and Arthur was the king of England. This is interesting because this means that they were both well known even before they had stories written about them, and they both possess qualities that can be found in leaders. While Arthur is a romance hero and Beowulf is an epic hero, the use of a magical weapon is seen in both stories which is generally a characteristic in the romance stories. "Then he saw, hanging on the wall, a heavy sword, hammered by the giants, strong and blessed with their magic, " 242-244 Beowulf. Arthur's magical weapon is Excalibur, which is pretty much well known to anyone that has heard of his story. I also felt that fate had a role in both of the stories. In Arthur's dream he had a premonition about what was going to happen to his people, "Below him, many fathoms deep, was a dark well, an in the water swam serpents, dragons, and wild beasts. Suddenly the scaffold tilted and Arthur was flung into the water, where all the creatures struggled towards and began tearing him from limb to limb." Malory 194. The beasts and dragons were the two armies and when someone drew their sword Arthur, who was connected to his people was thrown in.
Dissimilar to King Arthur’s opulent and boyish description, the Green Knight appears earthly, like an overgrown lumberjack in a debutante ball. His very entrance to the narrative aims to shatter Camelot’s superficial relationship with earthly trials. While Arthur seeks pleasure in hearing tales “of some fair feat” (92), the Green Knight undermines all formality known to be chivalrous challenging the king to a life risking game. With a “broad neck to buttocks” (137), (opposed to Arthur’s’ court depicted in the ever regal color red,) the Knight is clothed in green, the color of nature. He appears with no armor other then his faith, merely a utilitarian woodsman’s ax. While Green Knight is described like an animal who is said to have “wagged his beard” (306) yet understands the cyclical nature of life and truth of mans futility, it is only after Sir Gawain proclaims his lack of strength (though he says it at that point as a matter of chivalry) that he is able to ...
The lord planned to go hunting and invited Sir Gawain to eschange what he recieved in the castle for what the Lord recieved in the woods. For the first two days, the Lord gave Sir gawain venision, bear and a goose. And for every day, Sir Gawain recieved kisses from the Lady, so in return he must kiss the Lord. But on the third day, Sir Gawainj recieved three kisses and a green silk gridle. This gridle was magical according to the Lady. She said ""My knight, you must face many foes. This is a magic girdle; it has the power to protect whoever wears it against any weapon." Sir Gawains desire to live was overpowering so he accepted the gift. He failed to give the Lord this gift, but instead he gave him three kisses. Days passed and eventually Sir Gawain had to face the Green Knight. As scared as Sir Gawain was, he was determined to commit to his word so he allowed the Green Knight to swing his axe with the intent to decapitate him. Oddly enough, the Knight swung his axe three times and only cut Sir Gawains neck slightly.
The Legend of King Arthur is in comparison to The Epic of Gilgamesh because Arthur's closest companion was Merlin, and Gilgamesh's closest companion was Enkidu and neither Gilgamesh nor Arthur forgot their friends. Enkidu only came in contact with Gilgamesh after becoming a man. Enkidu released the animals from the hunter's traps when they ere caught, so to make him a man the prostitute slept with him so that the animals would be ashamed of him and reject him. King Arthur became aware of Merlin when he was a young man. When Arthur was born Merlin placed him in the care of Sir Ector, throughout his boyhood Arthur learned the ways of chivalry, knighthood and how to become a gentleman. At the tournament one day Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone and this is what brought upon Arthur meeting Merlin once again. In The Legend of King Arthur, Merlin exclaimed, "it is the doom of men if they forget." Gilgamesh along with Enkidu together fought and killed Humbaba, protector of the Cedar forest, and the Bull of Heaven, sent as punishment to Gilgamesh for killing Humbaba. King Arthur nor Gilgamesh forgot their faithful friends.
...r Gawain's reminder of his faults into a sign of "honour" which turns out as "good for the Round Table's renown." The court chooses to forgive Sir Gawain's shameful cowardice and wear the green out of respect for King Arthur's knight. In fact, the symbol whose original purpose served as a reminder of Sir Gawain's failings, now becomes a positive sign "for the Round Table's renown." Consequently, Sir Gawain does not fall for his actions but instead maintains the respect he receives from King Arthur's court.
Despite being a knight, Sir Gawain sinned. He was greedy. He accepted a woman’s girdle because it would literally save his neck in the covenant he had with the Green Giant. The woman’s girdle was magical and saved people from every thrust or strike they would endure. Sir Gawain learned his lesson through all the guilt he feels when he was caught. Moreover, when Sir Gawain says, “Dread of the death blow and cowardly doubts meant I gave into greed, and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows to follow,” (“Sir Gawain” 235). Even though Sir Gawain was a noble knight he still sinned against the knightly code and also against the Ten Commandments.
King Arthur is strong because he took many hits in battle. He also owned Excalibur. “Leaning out, he took the sword and scabbard.” (p.21) He took final wounds in battle which led to his resting. Some say he is dead, though.
No matter where we go in the world, we will always be surrounded and tempted by sin. These temptations test our character and morality, and they prove that our human nature inherently causes us to fall to the sins that encompass us. Even though the world is a dark and immoral place to live, we all value our lives and are prepared to do almost anything to protect ourselves from harm’s way. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the green girdle serves as symbol that highlights Gawain’s incessant love for life that tempts him to stray from his knightly code of chivalry.
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...
Is Arthur a legendary hero if so what qualities does he possess? Arthur is a legendary hero. He possesses the traits of loyalty and is helped by a special tool / weapon. Arthur is loyal in many ways than one. First, off he serves his brother as a servant. next he sees one of the citizens straining to kneel for him therefore he tells him to stop. This shows that he is loyal in a different way. It shows that he cares about his citizens and their health this is loyal. Arthur is also blessed with a special weapon Excalibur. A weapon is a key trait that makes him a legendary hero. Usually the hero needs special abilities or powers to wield the weapon. The ability for Arthur the king of England to wield the weapon is the most tell tell sign that
After Arthur works his way to the top of the kingdom pulling Excalibur from the rock making him king he marries the most beautiful Guinevere and makes her queen. Throughout his life he makes a lifetime friend by the name of Sir Lancelot. “For within a month shall come Sir Lancelot with all his noble knights and rescue you worshipfully and slay Sir Mordred and all that ever will hold with him” (pg. 186) Lancelot is trusted for everything with King Arthur, until one day. Lancelot came along and took Guinevere, heart and all. Although Arthur’s heart was broken he could not act upon the issue. He was a good friend he loved both of them to much to kill either of them. Honorably he held up his friendship regardless of the struggle he had dealing with the loss of his lady to his best
King Arthur is remembered as one of the greatest rulers to reign over a kingdom. Everyone loved the idea of a “chosen one” pulling the Excalibur. From the minute he pulled the sword, Arthur vowed to be a great ruler. As he states in Two Swords; “I hereby pledge myself to the service of God and of my people, to the righting of wrongs, to the driving out of evil, and plenty to my