Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

In Part I of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is characterized as a remarkable knight. The poet portrays him as loyal, self-deprecating, and brave. First, he proves his loyalty by supporting King Arthur when the Green Knight presents his challenge. When King Arthur calls him to his side, Sir Gawain instantly approaches him and bows. His immediate obedience shows Gawain’s loyalty to King Arthur. Secondly, Sir Gawain shows his self-deprecating side when offering to accept the Green Knight’s challenge. He says that he is the weakest, both mentally and physically, of all the Knights of the Round Table, and that his life has less value than the others. For example, he explains to King Arthur, “I am weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest...The

He is shown as flawed, but also resolute. First, Sir Gawain proves he is flawed when he reluctantly accepts the green girdle from Lady Bertilak in order to protect himself against the Green Knight. However, he takes it reluctantly, in fear of his own death, because with the green girdle, “no man under heaven...can cut him down, and he cannot be slain” (l. 122). By no means is Sir Gawain infallible; not only does he accept the green girdle, he withholds the girdle for the final day of the gift exchange with Lord Bertilak. Unfortunately, these actions show how dishonest and deceptive Sir Gawain can be, especially when fearing for his life. However, despite being flawed, Sir Gawain is resolute. When faced with many obstacles and temptations he perseveres. Initially, Sir Gawain travels to Lord Bertilak’s castle “through the cold, threatening woods of North Wales” (1. 153). Besides conquering the loneliness of the journey and the harsh weather conditions, he also faces “grim landscapes and fighting dragons, ogres, and wild beasts” (l. 34). Nevertheless, Gawain arrives at the castle, where he encounters numerous temptations. The first and longest temptation is Lady Bertilak; she constantly seduces Sir Gawain and tries to give him a “rich ring of the red gold, with a bright jewel blazing on it that flashed as bright as the sunrays” (1. 243). Although the ring is worth a fortune and is very