Heroic Qualities In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Some definitions for the word “Hero” include brave, noble, and admirable. And Sir Gawain is all of those words listed and more. Heroic characters are frequently placed on a pedestal. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we encounter Sir Gawain, a character with very human qualities. See he was sort of a celebrity because he was King Arthur’s nephew. Man cannot be considered a hero unless he has overcome some sort of opposition. He must surmount some force within his own self in order to be dubbed a hero. Originally faced with the challenge of the Green Knight, Gawain must face temptation and less-than-heroic qualities within himself and he doesn’t necessarily overcome them all. Sir Gawain may be regarded as a heroic adventurer in his pursuit of the mysterious Green Knight. Through the poem, he presents himself with the upmost ideals of chivalry, honor, and honesty. In the poem, we find our hero is faced with a quest of amazing proportions. He represents a hero because the truest hero is one who learns from his mistakes. Sir Gawain realizes and understands where he has failed.

One of Sir Gawain’s traits that I admire, and in my opinion, has disappeared is Chivalry. In

Gawain’s fear of death and receipt of the lady’s girdle showed a human emotion that many of us could associate to. Most people have felt fear in their lives, and could understand Gawain wanting to save his life. We have to remember that, we, as humans are not perfect and we make mistakes. He is honest, brave, and loyal, until his fear of dying becomes too great to bear. The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight not only tells a story of a courageous knight, but of how even the most heroic of men are flawed. Heroes are humans just like the rest of us. Gawain made a mistake and was able to show heroism throughout the poem and that what makes him a