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Maintaining Virtues In day-to-day life, people face a vast array of decisions. Some of these decisions are transient, such as what clothes to wear. Other decisions we make may have lasting impacts not only to the person making the decision, but others that surround that person. An example would be drinking and driving. Moral code often dictates what you should do in situations, but it is up to each individual to live up to that moral code and choose to make virtuous decisions. As I face the challenge of leading a virtuous life, I am drawn back to the time of Sir Arthur and the Round Table. More specifically, I am intrigued by Sir Gawain. In the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I admire how Sir Gawain attempts to be virtuous, yet also empathize when he falls short of maintaining these virtues. Although Sir Gawain fails to maintain his virtues throughout the story, his continuous attempts to return to virtuous decisions makes him a virtuous person. Sir Gawain is introduced to us at the beginning of the story when he takes the place of Sir Arthur, in the Green Knight’s challenge. The Green Knight openly challenged all Knights of the Round Table to strike one blow, and in return, the knight must allow the Green Knight to return the blow in exactly one year. Initially, none of the knights step up to the challenge, forcing their leader, Sir Arthur, to accept. Sir Gawain performs the virtuous act of taking on the challenge in Sir Arthur’s place to protect his lord from taking any part of an unusual challenge that might kill a man. In the story Sir Gawain explains his reason for taking his lord’s place, “I hold, none more honest of purpose, no figures fairer on field where fighting is waged. I am the weakest. I am awa... ... middle of paper ... ...use positive outcomes, and may stop that person from making a wrong decision. The most impactful measure in this story for me is Sir Gawain’s continuous return to virtuous decisions although every decision he made is not virtuous. It helped me to realize that I can return to virtue after any of my failures. Additionally I learned that in sharing the story of my failures, I may prevent others from choosing the wrong path and help them to remain virtuous as well. Works Cited Kadir, Djelal, Ursula K. Heise, David Damrosch, Sabry Hafez, and Pauline Yu. The Longman Anthology of World Literature. Second ed. Vol. A-B. New York: Pearson, Longman, 2009. Print. "Ramelle." Saving Private Ryan:. Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia, 21 Apr. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. Steven Spielberg. Dir. Saving Private Ryan. Prod. Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks Pictures, 1998. DVD.
Sir Gawain steps in to take the challenge after King Arthur first agrees to participate himself. Sir Gawain wants to bring honor to Arthur and asks permission to take his place. Gawain knows that he is not the strongest, smartest knight but the loss of his life would not be as bad as if King Arthur loses his life. King Arthur agrees to let him enter this game and gives him a weapon to use against this Green Knight. King Arthur says to Sir Gawain, "Keep, cousin what you cut with this day, and if you rule it aright, then readily, I know you shall stand the stroke it will strike after." (372-374) Gawain, with his weapon in his hand, is now ready to take part in the game.
King Arthur and his knights represent the pinnacle of bravery, chivalry, and honor. However, when a strange knight, the Green Knight, enters Camelot with a challenge, none of the knights accept it (?). No knights wanted to go blow for blow with the Green Knight for fear of losing their lives. It is not until Arthur rises to face the challenge, to defend the honor of his court, that Gawain steps forward and accepts it. Therefore, the purpose of the Green Knight is to teach Sir Gawain to value his honor and the honor of the king more than his life.
Gawain is a dynamic, evolving character. As the story progresses, he matures and gains experience from his journey. It is evident that Gawain is a loyal, religious, and honorable knight. He is naïve and young, but he has the makings of an ideal knight. Gawain shows honor and courage by honoring the agreement he makes with the Green Knight. He ventures from Arthur’s court in search of the Green Knight and arrives in a forest where he prays for a place to stay so that he can hear mass on Christmas Eve: “No sooner had Sir Gawain signed himself thrice than he was ware, in the wood, of a wondrous dwelling” (Norton, 312)...
Sir Gawain stands up for he believes that his uncle should not take on the Green Knight while so many others, as mentioned earlier, are able. Gawain is successful by not only standing for what he believes in but also in defeating the Green Knight. The Green Knight plays the role of the tempter in this scene. He first tempts the court, but is defeated. Sir Gawain overcomes his first
Sir Gawain embodies these ideals in many ways, from his brave and dedicated pursuit of the good to his courage and sacrifice for his king. However, we also see that in his actions as a man and not a knight, Sir Gawain is suscepti
“Culture does not make people. People make culture” said Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer and educator, in a presentation on feminism in a TedTalk. The culture in which Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written was misogynistic and it shows in the writing of the poem. Medieval cultural misogyny manifests itself in multiple ways in SGGK. This paper will examine the negative relationships between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and gender by discussing: the representation of female characters, gendered violence, and Christianity in the Middle Ages.
Tragic and hero may not be words that easily reveal a relationship, but throughout literature the two have been linked to create an enthralling read. The emergence of the tragic hero seemed to take shape in ancient Greece where such works as Oedipus and Antigone were popular among all classes of people. Aristotle defined a tragedy as "the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself. It incorporates incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish the catharsis of such emotions." Though Greece may be credited with the creation of tragic heroes, the theme is seen in literary works across many different cultures, including England. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one such English work where the development of the main character, Gawain, follows the pattern of the classical tragic hero. In this paper, we will explore the characteristics of the tragic hero and show how these traits are demonstrated in Gawain.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the fourteenth century by an anonymous poet who was a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. The story was originally written in a Northern dialect. It tells the story of Sir Gawain's first adventure as a knight.
Sir Gawain initially was a man who had a strong reputation of being the most chivalrous and gallant knight in all of the British Kingdom. With this reputation, Sir Gawain could never relax and had to always elevate himself to hold that reputation, even if it seemed impossible. During the Green Knight 's test, Sir Gawain maintained his chivalry and his reputation for the most part, but with everything getting thrown at him and Sir Gawain reaching a peak pressure point, he breaks the code of chivalry that brings out he is in fact human and will not be perfect. Sir Gawain from the Green Knight 's test essentially showed that he is in fact a chivalrous and gallant knight, but he is still flesh and blood prone to mistakes just like any other human
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.
Sir Gawain is an ideal knight by taking on the important duty of defending and protecting the King. He took on the responsibility to surrender or sacrifice his life for the king, which clearly shows his bravery and courageousness. He proves his devotion to the king by accepting the Green Knight's test. Sir Gawain is prepared to sacrifice himself by striking the Green Knight while being aware that in a year and one day, he will receive the same retaliation from the Green Knight's ax. If Sir Gawain denied this test, the respect and reputation of King Arthur would be mocked by the Green Knight and would put his status and kingdom in question. He wasn't scared to commit to the Green Knight and sacrifice himself in his obligation to protect the king. He displays his devotion in nobility and is defended many others by his acts of humility. Sir Gawain successfully accomplished in his responsibility in being an ideal knight by showing his true courage.
In the short story "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", Sir Gawain showed his chivalrous qualities by doing good deeds throughout the short story. Some of these chivalrous qualities included remaining loyal to his King, respecting another man's wife, and living up to his word even though it might of lead to his death.
As one can see from the title, Sir Gawain was a main character in the narrative. Even though he was King Arthur’s nephew, he can be seen as a humble knight treating others with great respect. Though humble, he did hold himself up to high standards.
In conclusion, we can learn many lessons from Sir Gawain and the tests and trails that he endured leading up to his meeting with the Green Knight. Who only have to look for them and ponder how they can apply to us today. For instance, being true to ourselves and what we believe in. Keeping our word, and upholding our faiths even in the face of impending danger, even though the cost may be very great to pay.
The quotes of Sir Gawain are a good way to interpret the hero traits that Sir Gawain beholds in himself. Sir Gawain says to his king,