A Hero’s Comedic Tale The epic poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, presents the typical medieval hero going on a ridiculous quest. Gawain exemplifies the five principles of chivalry as he addresses each challenge on his journey, making him a true hero. However, the tale places this serious hero in an absurd situation, illustrating the comical elements the poem holds as well. The measure of an honorable hero in medieval romances is his ability to follow the chivalric code. Five characteristics are typically named when describing this code: friendship, fraternity, purity, politeness, and pity. In this poem, the correlating traits are listed when the author describes the symbol on Sir Gawain’s armor. A piece of the sacred knot is said to represent several sets of items and “Of the fifth group of five he [Gawain] honoured constantly/ The first four were generosity, good fellowship,/ Cleanness, and courtesy, uncurbed and unimpaired;/ Lastly compassion, surpassing all” (651). Throughout his quest, Gawain demonstrates his devotion to chivalry by following each of these values, even when they may seem to contradict. The classic hero’s tale is dominated by three major challenges, the first of which is initiated by an intruder to the home. When King Arthur’s court is confronted by the mysterious green knight, Sir Gawain begins his adventure by humbly asking for it. He says to Arthur, “‘ I am the weakest and the least in wit;/ Loss of my life is therefore of little account…
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian poem; an enchanting story of chivalry, romance and heroism. With its intricately woven details, parallels and symbols, the reader will often easily overlook these facets in a story of this caliber. Undoubtedly, the author would not have spent time on details that do not add to the meaning of the overall telling of the story. The three hunting scenes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and in parallel, the three temptations, monopolize a considerable portion of the story. In a comparison of the three hunts and their corresponding temptations, we will see how the poet parallels these circumstances to emphasize the meaning of its symbolism.
Sir Gawain, nephew to the well-known King Arthur of the Round Table, is regarded as the most elite and noble of all the knights in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Yet, like anyone else in the world, Sir Gawain is far from perfect. Gawain, a courteous knight living a life dedicated to honor, courage, and self-preservation, is tested on his chivalrous code throughout his journey; a search for the Green Knight. Throughout the tests, Gawain’s actions reveal that even the best of men can be selfish and are subject to guilt and sin.
“Sir Gawain & The Green Knight” is a classic medieval poem about a chivalrous knight on a journey to the Green Chapel. King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain has been challenged by the Green Knight in a “beheading game,” where he has agreed to exchange a blow in the head towards the Green Knight, to be returned to him the following New Years in journeying to the Green Chapel. Gawain has to battle whether his knightly virtues are more important than his own life when faced with different trials her encounters. Everything is not what it appears to be, knowing symbols is a critical part to understanding the meaning of the poem. Understanding the symbolism behind the Christian and Green Chapel adds to the overall understanding of the medieval poem.
Several fictional works set in Arthurian times contain numerous similar elements, whether that be in the structure of its plot or encounters with mythical beings; however, one particular element of these tales stands out among the rest, that being the knights in the stories. Both chivalrous and virtuous, knights are the very embodiment of Arthurian mythology, and are a staple in many Arthurian legends. Their courageous acts of selflessness and loyalty to their lords only add to their reputation, inspiring many authors throughout the ages to capture their likeness in various texts; however, only one author has been able to truly capture what it means to be a knight, that author being the “Gawain Poet.” Also known as the “Pearl Poet,” the “Gawain Poet” is most known for his chivalric romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story revolves around a central conflict in which the protagonist, Sir Gawain, must fulfill an agreement with a mysterious knight. Gawain’s “debt” must be repaid exactly one year after their agreement, and if Gawain should fail to do so, his honor and reputation would be tarnished. It is through his struggles that Gawain not only grows as a character, but also shows what it means to truly be a knight. Sir Gawain is the epitome of a knight because he is not only chivalrous and virtuous, but also stays true to his word in the face of danger.
Medieval romances are dramatic theatrical narratives that usually include heroes, adventures, and of course the excitement of love. These stories have been around since the 12th century, first appearing in France and then later seen in England. They were some of the most popular texts of the era. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of these stories introduced in the 13th century. In fact, it’s so old that nobody knows who even wrote the poem. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an exciting tale where Sir Gawain is tested as a knight by facing challenges and adventures. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight shows us the all the main traits and characteristics of a medieval romance, such as supernatural elements, mistaken identity, larger than life characters, and lastly a hero facing and passing tests of loyalty.
The tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” focuses primarily on beliefs of honor, bravery, and chivalry. The main character, Sir Gawain, embodies these qualities. His character is meant to be a model of chivalry. He emanates honor when he offers to fight the Green Knight for King Arthur. Medieval people would admire this courageous act. In his struggles to keep his promise Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is assessed, in the end, by the Green Knight’s schemes. This tale also includes a larger-than-life character who commands respect, the Green Knight. This superhuman being defies all laws of nature when his head is chopped off, yet he still remains alive and alert. These characters and their extraordinary actions provide perspective for the values and interests of medieval people.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the “Pearl Poet,” we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Throughout the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from them, Sir Gawain is a true knight.
Sir Gawain accurately portrays his outward pentangle identity and knightly virtues through his armor through his travels. His armor carries the symbol of the pentangle or the “endless knot” (2.630), which characterizes Gawain as “For ever faithful five-fold in five-fold fashion / [with] … good works … [and] with virtues adorned”. His armor embodies visually the expectations his chivalric virtues of courage, courtesy, and fidelity and the pentangle with its five senses, fingers, joys, virtues, and wounds. As Gawain travels through the dangerous and cold forest, he bravely continues on to find the green knight and hold true to his vows and his armor. The commitment of Gawain to complete his duty satisfies his knightly virtues of courage and faithfulness and the virtues of the pentangle. He encounters serpents,
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight along with The Canterbury Tales features impressive knights that all boast a chivalric code. As Sir Gawain and the Green Knight unfolds, we readers are led to look beneath the attractive surface of chivalry and question exactly what chivalry is through examples such as: Sir Arthur , Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, Palamon, and Arcite.
Gawain, a knight of the famed King Arthur, is depicted as the most noble of knights in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Nonetheless, he is not without fault or punishment, and is certainly susceptible to conflict. Gawain, bound to chivalry, is torn between his knightly edicts, his courtly obligations, and his mortal thoughts of self-preservation. This conflict is most evident in his failure of the tests presented to him. With devious tests of temptation and courage, Morgan le Fay is able to create a mockery of Gawain’s courtly and knightly ideals. Through the knight Gawain, the poem is able to reveal that even knights are human too with less than romantic traits.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late English alliterative romance. The author of this tale is unknown so far. It is the only one surviving manuscript. The story starts with a mysterious visitor, the Green Knight, to Camelot, during the Christmas festivities. He challenges everyone for a strange game; any knight to strike him with his axe will take a return blow in a year and a day. Initially King Arthur accepts the challenge and then King Arthur’s knight “Sir Gawain” volunteers and accepts the challenge. Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow. The Green Knight picks up his head and reminds Gawain that
In the tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, Sir Gawain of King Arthur’s Round Table sets off courageously to find the Green Knight a year after decapitating him so the Green Knight can decapitate Gawain in return. The five heroic qualities Sir Gawain showed throughout the tale were respect, bravery, humbleness, chivalry, and idealization of women. Like Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon times, Gawain showed respect and bravery throughout the story, to his king and against opposing threats. Gawain showed respect not only to his king, but to the Green Knight as well. Gawain showed his bravery when he ventured off to have the Green Knight “return the favor” for having his head cut off, even though he knew he would lose his life in the process.
In the poem, Gawain’s quest for and confrontation with the Green Knight adhere to the heroic model of medieval literature and are vital to Gawain’s legacy as a whole. His actions, laid out in the model, display the traits that make him recognizable as an idyllic hero. In his modest return to King Arthur’s court after his encounter with the Green Knight, his humility is brought to light. In his decision to embark on his quest in the first place, his courage is revealed.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” consists of several themes that influence the storyline of the poem. Chivalry, temptation, and testing are few of the many themes found in the poem. In the context of this poem, chivalry refers to the expectations a knight must exceed (Carter 11 Sept 2017). Sir Gawain displays chivalry when he volunteers to take the place of his uncle by accepting the Green Knight’s challenge, rather than sending the king and putting his life in danger.
In the opening lines of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Gawain-poet predicates the numerous dualities—which lead the reader through questions of moral seriousness—that exist in the poem. The opening historical recounting, according to Richard Hamilton Green, reminds the reader that “the greatness of the past is marred by reminders of failure” (179). The paradox of triumph and greatness arising out of failure foreshadows Sir Gawain following the same pattern of fate as his predecessors. While the completion of Gawain’s quest reaffirms the historical paradox of greatness, his journey to renown is fraught with situations and symbols that develop the poem’s main concern of moral seriousness. The Gawain-poet skillfully reveals his