The Character Analysis Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Sir Gawain’s inner ideals and character are adequately tested and thoroughly defined throughout the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. During the course of his journey, Gawain was not only expected to maintain his honor to King Author, Lord Bertilak, Lady Bertilak, and the Green Knight, but was expected to maintain it while still loyally adhering to his chivalric and religious obligations. As a knight, it is important that he is loyal first and foremost to his God and religion just as importantly to his king. However, on his journey, Sir Gawain does not entirely live up to the integrity of a good knight as he struggles with conflicting values between his faith and knighthood. Although his honor appears to be questionable at times, Gawain’s nobility and bravery are shown in his compliance to face the Green Knight while withstanding the temptations and seduction of the lady, proving that he is truly an honorable knight.

Referred to as one of the “most noble knights” (Norton 159) in King Author’s land, Sir Gawain intends to keep his word in the beheading game and is essentially forfeiting his life to protect King Author and secure the reputation of Camelot. In a year and a day, Gawain must travel to the Green Chapel in order to return the favor of enduring a blow by the Green Knight’s axe. Remaining true to his word, Gawain continues to pursue this journey endangered and alone as a noble knight would. His departure reveals the importance of self-sacrifice for honor. “He rode far from friends, a forsaken man, scaling many cliffs in country unknown…had death struggles with dragons, did battles with wolves” (Horton 48). His persistence and endurance serves as an illustration of his honor, considering that he could have very easily not held up his end of the