Le Morte D Arthur Character Analysis

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In the book of Le Morte D’Arthur a trio of knights overtakes an adventure by taking a quest that is randomly assigned. Even though the quests are randomly assigned to them, the quests each knights undertakes reflect their own aspects and characters. Also the adventure that each has to overcome shows his particular virtues and weaknesses. Among the knights Gawaine only accepts a challenge that the Green knight offered. By just accepting the quest that other knight reluctant to have, Gawaine is an honorable knight with virtues of courage and braveness. Also he shows his virtues of patience, humility, and the nature of chivalry. Sir Gawaine seems too perfect but he shows some flaws in personality of cool headedness and rudeness to ladies through his adventure. First, Gawaine shows his virtues of courage, the nature of chivalry, and chastity through undertaking his quests. At the Christmas time King Arthur gives a challenge to the knights to cut off the Green Knight’s head. When none of the knights at the round table intent to do the challenge, Sir Gawaine takes up the challenge. This incident makes Sir Gawaine to be the greatest of all knights: “Sir Gawaine went unto the king and said, Sir, go to your meat, for here at the hand come strange adventures. So Arthur went unto his meat with many other kings” (Morte D’Arthur, 209). His intent to take the challenge from the king Arthur does not seem as selfishness or pride that he wants to show off the other knights. The fact that none of the other knights want to take a challenge reflects Gawaine as the most courageous knight. After Gawaine gets the quest to chop off the head of Green knight, he should leave for the adventure for one year to seek for the Green knight. When Gawaine leaves,... ... middle of paper ... ...strong appearance as a great knight, but he does not show mercy and courteousness to ladies. Even though he has many virtues to be a great knight, his weakness prevents him from being worshipped and respected as a great knight from other people. In conclusion, in the book of Le Morte D’ Arthur the adventure and the quest that Gawaine gets reflects his own character and position in life. There are virtues that reveal him as a great knight but also there are weaknesses in his personality that creates the limit of him being a great knight; the virtues of Gawaine are bravery, nature of chivalry, patience, and humility, and the weaknesses that he has is a lack of mercy and courteousness to ladies. Even though the quest is randomly assigned to Gawaine, the way that he pulls through to get the quest be successful through the adventure portraits true traits of himself.

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