Chivalric heroes, unlike the epic heroes in stories such as Beowulf, do more than fight to protect their people; they go out of their way in order to look for a test to prove their strength, to fight for their morals and ideals, and to keep their word to prove their loyalty and honor. Gawain, from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, embodies all of the traits that qualify him to be a chivalric hero. According to the website Luminarium, “the virtues of a chivalric hero are similar to those of his epic counterpart—valor, generosity, loyalty, honor, and skill in battle—however, the sense given to 'loiautee,' loyalty, at this period is more intricate and more significant”, and we see the depth of Gawain’s loyalty and courage early on in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Jokinen). While the Green Knight challenges a room full of Knights, Gawain is the only one to come forth and put his life on the life, for no reason other than to prove his worth, to take responsibility for his duty, and to spare his King. Gawain states that “I am the weakest of warriors and feeblest of wit; / loss of my life would be least lamented”, when in fact, he becomes the only true knight in the story (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 193). During the Middle Ages, the Knights seated around the table should have been falling over themselves to stand up and protect their King and to prove their worth and yet Gawain was the only one who took the challenge, regardless of what it would cost him in the end. There is nothing more courageous than offering one’s own life to spare someone else’s, and nothing less should have been expected from a Knight. A major factor in being considered a chivalric hero is honor. Gawain proves to honor his word in searching for the ... ... middle of paper ... ..., for which my neck bears the scar; / a sign of my fault and offence and failure, / of the cowardice and covetousness I came to commit” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 237). This is a lesson that Gawain learned throughout his journey, and because of this and his humility, he was able to come out of his adventure with a newfound appreciation for his actions and their consequences; something that any hero must be able to do. Works Cited Abels, Dr. Richard. “Medieval Chivalry.” The United States Naval Academy. n.d. Web. 19 February 2014. Jokinen, Anniina. "Heroes of the Middle Ages." Luminarium. 23 February 1998. Web. 18 February 2014. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume 1. 9th ed. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 186-238. Print.
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”.
He is not brave, selfless, chivalrous, or noble; with an immoral thought he only performs great acts in front of an audience. Knights are supposed to be fearless warriors, Gawain contradicts that stereotype. Once Gawain ventures towards the green chapel, he is overcome by fear. However, fear of death is not of the essence. When his escort offers to help him avoid the fight, Gawain had already obtained the green sash; he fights knowing he will not die. Gawain fears his kingdom will recognize his lack of pure motive and moral courage if he abandons the game, concerned that if he “forsook this place for fear, and fled,” Camelot will find out he is “a caitiff coward” who “could not be excused” for his lack of inner-chivalry (2130-2131). He does not go to the fight to prove he is chivalrous; his impure motive is to hide his immoral nature from
The tales of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Lanval offer their readers insight into a common knightly quandary. Gawain and Lanval are both faced with challenges that threaten their ability to protect, uphold, and affirm their very knightliness. The two knights repeatedly see several knightly traits--- each invaluable to the essence of a knight--- brought into conflict. While the knights are glorified in their respective texts, they are faced with impossible dilemmas; in each story, both reader and knight are confronted with the reality that knightly perfection is unattainable: concessions must be made--- bits and pieces of their honor must be sacrificed.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – A Test of Chivalry Essay with Outline: Loyalty, courage, honor, purity, and courtesy are all attributes of a knight that displays chivalry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is truly a story of the test of these attributes. In order to have a true test of these attributes, there must first be a knight worthy of being tested, meaning that the knight must possess chivalric attributes to begin with. Sir Gawain is admittedly not the best knight around. He says "I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; / and the loss of my life [will] be the least of any" (Sir Gawain, l. 354-355).
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.
...or a chivalric Knight embodies the battle of the righteous self against corruption. Gawain’s strength comes from his discovery of his own flaws. Beowulf’s ideals concerning honor and nobility exist only within the context of his society. Remove him from other people, and his life would be meaningless. This is the true flaw of Beowulf, which the character of Gawain, by the end of his story, comes to realize. The notion of "winning" can be applied at all times to the personality of the chivalric Knight. The battleground becomes the mind, which is separate from the realm of reality. Beowulf does not have the capability to win, without the recognition of his fellow warriors. Within the mind, all sorts of battles are waged. The true winner is the person who can learn from that struggle, and who is able to apply that knowledge within both solitary and societal venues.
...Gawain’s time in the wilderness, living nature, and his acceptance of the lady’s offering of the green girdle teach him that though he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error.
Gawain’s behaviour is not looked upon as modest by others in the court, but rather disreputable. The D...
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...
Gawain Shows three traits throughout this story that make him a hero. Braveness, Strength, and Chivalrousness. Gawain shows braveness in lines 139-142. It says “Then Gawain and Guinevers’s side bowed and spoke his design: “Before all, king, confide this fight to me. May it be mine.”” This shows Gawain being brave because he steps up and asks the king to let him do the fight instead of the king. He is risking his life so that he king doesn't have to. And thats brave. Gawain also shows his strength in this story in lines 197-204. It says “Gawain
In Chrétien de Troyes’ Yvain, Calogrenant relates his ‘adventure’ in Broceliande. He meets a monstrous herdsman in a forest, who asks who Calogrenant is:
Beowulf and Sir Gawain have many aspects, such as their motives, good deeds, and correcting of wrongs, in common. Many, however, seem to differ because of the type of person they are, want to be, and their drive in life. Beowulf is more self-centered yet helps those who support him while Sir Gawain protects others while having to fix the wrongs in himself. Throughout history and literature, whether ancient, classic, or modern, the idea of a perfect hero is so remote, due to their individualities as a person.
Gawain's actions reflect the social mores of 14th century England, where a good knight was expected to adhere firmly to the code of chivalry. Gawain is the model knight, gallant and valorous, not to mention a devout Christian. Gawain's superb character traits are bolstered by his status as a member of King Arthur's court. The Gawain poet writes of Camelot: "With all delights on earth they housed there together, / ...
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.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it is revealed just how many actions and qualities can be presented for a person to be considered a hero. Unlike Beowulf, Sir Gawain was not born into aristocracy, and is instead a mere knight at the round table of King Arthur. Sir Gawain is certainly quite humble toward himself and his achievements as shown in the quote “I am the weakest, I know, and the dullest-minded, So my death would be the least loss” (Shmoop Editorial Team), which contrasts much to Beowulf’s arrogance. The reason Gawain accepted the Green Knight’s challenge was for the sake of his king’s life. Sir Gawain showed bravery and valor in his decision to accept his fate that the Green Knight had forced upon him. On his journey to find the Green Knight and have his blow returned to himself, Gawain shows his perseverance as well as his undying faith to his Christian saints. Once Gawain finds sanctuary in Bertilak’s Castle, he was faced with the temptation to lie to his savior, a temptation he fell into just before he went to face his demise. When Sir Gawain faces his king he is humiliated at his failure, however, King Arthur is also disappointed in himself for allowing a knight of his table to face such a challenge alone. Sir Gawain shows many different attributes than Beowulf but he is still considered a hero for his humbleness and