Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue

Sir Gawain: A Man of Virtue

Nobility, honesty, valiance and chivalry are the values instilled in Sir Gawain. He is a respected knight due to these characteristics. Both Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and in "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" present these qualities of Sir Gawain. In both tales, he proves these traits through many events. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight proves Sir Gawain’s nobility and honesty while "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" provides proof of his chivalry and virtue.

The author of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight describes Sir Gawain as "the good knight" (Norton 204) within the first few verses of the story. He is said to be the "most courteous knight" (Norton 215) of Arthur’s court as well. When Sir Gawain stays in the castle with the host and his wife, he is faced with many tests. Although Sir Gawain does not know it at this point, the host is actually the Green Knight. The host, Bercilak de Hautdesert, tells his wife to seduce Sir Gawain as a test of his nobility. The wife, Lady Bercilak, listens to her husband and begins her attempts of seduction of the noble knight. Sir Gawain does not give in even though the host’s wife is boldly flirting with him. Gawain says, "Lady, by Saint John, Lover have I none, Nor will have, yet awhile" (Norton 239). This proves that Sir Gawain is filled with chivalry and virtue because although he could have taken full advantage of the situation, he does not. Sir Gawain has many chances to tak...