Honor In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

When you think of a knight what do you picture? Do you picture a fragile, cowardly, dishonorable man? Of course not, you picture a strong man who is willing to give up his life for the kingdom. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” retold by Susan Thompson, a legend is told of, Sir Gawain on his quest to protect his king and fellow knights’ honor. After the Green Knight had challenged them and embarrassed King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Gawain took up the challenge in an act of true chivalry. In this legend about a battle of knighthood between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is the better knight. He is a true romantic hero and follows the Knight’s Code of Chivalry, by serving the liege lord, King Arthur, in valor

Essay with Outline  Loyalty, courage, honor, purity, and courtesy are all attributes of a knight that displays chivalry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is truly a story of the test of these attributes. In order to have a true test of these attributes, there must first be a knight worthy of being tested, meaning that the knight must possess chivalric attributes to begin with. Sir Gawain is self admittedly not the best knight around. He says "I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; / and the loss of my life [will] be least of any" (Sir Gawain, l. 354-355). To continue on testing a knight that does not seem worthy certainly will not result in much of a story, or in

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic example of the behaviors of a medieval knight and how the code of chivalry works within the courts and towards women. When Sir Gawain visits Bertiak’s castle, he respectfully treats the elderly woman and Bertiak’s beautiful young wife with the same level of dignity. “To the elder in homage he humbly bows; the lovelier he salutes with a light embrace. They welcome him warmly, and straightaway he asks to be received as their servant, if they so desire” (lines 973-976). The treatment of women is an essential part of the code of chivalry. If Sir Gawain had only given attention to the pretty young woman, then he would not have been abiding by the knight’s code of honor. He also keeps the code of chivalry intact when he says “Lover have I none, nor will have, yet awhile” (line 1790). Sir Gawain says this to Bertiak’s attractive wife, when she tries seducing him in the bedroom, which proved Sir Gawain’s loyalty to Bertiak, upholding his chivalric code. Honorable Sir Gawain demonstrates the knightly code of chivalry throughout the poem.

In the poem “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,” a protagonist emerges depicting an Arthurian knight named Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes initiative by accepting the challenge requested by the Green Knight in place of his uncle. He undergoes a perilous adventure, seeking for the Green Knight to receive the final blow. Although Sir Gawain is not viewed as a hero for his military accomplishments, he is, however, viewed as a heroic figure by the Knights at the Round Table for his knightly characteristics.

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale that takes place in the medieval period. During this time period, knights were considered very common and were expected to follow one main code of law, chivalry. This code mainly stated that a knight must be loyal to his king, honest, modest, and brave. Chivalry is practiced in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the form of tests that are given to Gawain to reveal his true character, and what is valued most to him. Throughout these tests, Sir Gawain proves that he values his honor over his life and will not fall to temptations displayed to him.

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.

With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight there were three major tests of integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. To be blindly tested by a man he just met, sir Gawain proved himself worthy aside from the sash test. The Green Knight tested Sir Gawain’s integrity by making a deal, telling his wife to seduce him, and giving him the sash through his wife.

In the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Brian Stone, the idea of righteousness pervades Sir Gawain’s quest. The poem was first written in Arthurian England, where the knights are expected to follow the code of chivalry, which tells them how to behave. Sir Gawain, the main character, is no exception, as every decision he makes follows that code of chivalry, save one. He is then punished for that one foolish choice, suggesting that a man must strive to be chivalrous, even when faced with a choice between chivalry and life.

The legends and tales of the knights of King Arthur’s Round Table have resounded for ages—vivid stories of courageous and gallant knights usurping evil while simultaneously maintaining an upstanding reputation. Through the Arthurian tales, one has the opportunity to experience heroic narratives of exemplary models of knights who clearly illustrate the chivalry and honorability one should aspire to possess. No more evidently is this theme displayed than in the 14th century epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—a narrative of Sir Gawain, nephew of the legendary King Arthur, and his heroic journey against a mysterious green knight. In this heroic journey, the inherent charisma Gawain possesses and is continually praised for affirms the

Throughout one’s life, a person will go through numerous changes, both physically and mentally. These continuous changes in life are a few of the steps to maturing, which also helps build a person’s identity. In the romantic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Pearl Poet, the hero, Sir Gawain goes through a passage which develops his perspective on adulthood leading to his maturity. Gawain’s knight errant mentality is what drives him to mature during the adventures he takes on. While on his journey to adulthood, he passes three major tests. First, he shows courage and initiative when he volunteers to take the place of Arthur and accepts the challenge the Green Knight had demanded. Second, he shows discipline, self-control and honor

Knights and shining armor, is a modern day description of knights. These knights road on horseback, jousted, but more importantly, served by a code. This was a code dealing with chivalry, in which knights obeyed by. The article Nighthood and Chivalry, defines it by, “In modern English, chivalry means the ideals, virtues, or characteristics of knights,” (Velde). There is one specific knight who shows this code in the story, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The knight is Gawain, a noble and courageous man who makes a deal with the Green Knight. The story Sir Gawain and The Green Knight shows chivalry by respect, strength, and honesty.

Sir Gawain showcases the theme of integrity throughout the literacy. However, Gawain displays the total opposite as well. He’s looking for honor which is the reflection of integrity. In order to be honorable you must put morals in place and be honest with thy self. Therefore, integrity is the main theme of this literacy. Gawain portrays integrity throughout three major tests; refusal of the lord’s wife, acceptance of the Green Knight’s challenge, returns to chapel, but he contradicts himself.

The integrity of Sir Gawain was really tested throughout this romance poem. He will face challenges that will determine his true bravery for accepting the Green Knight’s challenge. They will exchange their strikes a year after the first one has been made; on New Year’s Day. The both of them faced several difficulties in this poem. The respect that Sir Gawain has claimed to have will also be put to test. Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s challenge; however, he faces many tasks where he has to show his true honesty towards the Green Knight.

Beowulf, an epic hero, is significant and glorified because of the heroic endeavors that he performs in. The poem stated, "They extolled his heroic nature and exploits and gave thanks for his greatness, which was the proper thing for a man should praise a price whom he holds dear and cherish his memory..." (II. 442-445). After defeating both Grendel and Gendel 's mother Beowulf was praised for it and defined as a true hero. The character, Beowulf, terminated a dragon who was woken by a goblet and was later wounded, threatening his life. For his everlasting bravery, the people of Geats and Danes admired him for his superhuman actions. Beowulf was noble to his people, so everyone set him out to be a

The poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic to the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name or take credit for his own work.