Perceval: A Fictional Narrative

Throughout this story, Sir Gawain has shown his great personality, and his commitment to being a true knight. He proved that he was humble, self-disciplined, truthful, and had integrity. Gawain woke up one morning to find that the host's wife had crept in the room, and sat on his bed. She jokes that she had snuck in and captured him. Gawain plays along, until the wife tries to talk him into engaging sexually. Gawain continuously denies her requests politely. The Wife says that she would have married him instead if she could have. Sir Gawain was humble and expresses that her husband is a better man. she finally gives up, but requests a kiss. She continues this for the next two days, yet Gawain contains himself, and keeps his mind and body pure,

Gawain is willing to put his welfare on the line to save his king and friend. He says that he would be a coward and without honor if he lets King Arthur die knowing that all he must do to save him is to marry a woman, although she is quite disgusting.

The first temptation of Gawain is perhaps the most difficult for him to defend. This temptation corresponds with the hunt scene involving a stag. In terms of the hunt, the stag is hunted due to it being a staple food, but it can also be mounted as a trophy. In the same sense, the Queen views him as the “stag” she is trying to hunt. Her sexual desire for him is the sole purpose of her “pursuit”. She then tries to guilt him by saying, “A good man like Gawain… could have never lingered so long with a lady without craving a kiss” (p.164; line 1297). She is, in a sense, "hunting" Gawain in that she is pursuing him for the sole purpose of making him her “trophy” but is not flirting with him as much as she does in the next two temptations. If he falls prey to this temptation, then he has failed his knightly honor. In his reaction to the Queen, Gawain acts much like a stag. He first tries to unsuccessfully ignore her. Then, he stealthily avoids her advances, not directly confronting her, but subtly downplaying her advances, until he could attempt to escape.

Sir Gawain has played a significant role in Arthurian legends since the Middle Ages. His first major appearance in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight depicts Gawain as a warrior rather than a womanizing knight like others from King Arthur's court. Even in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain focuses on his battle with the green knight rather than the advances of Bercilak's wife. During Gawain's visit to Bercilak's castle, his wife makes three specific advances to entice Gawain into an adulteress relationship. Although Gawain faces certain death with the Green Knight, he declines any sexual involvement with Bercilak's wife. Gawain's character remains faithful to his

Our attention now turns towards Gawain, who is still asleep in bed. He awakes to find the lord's wife entering his room; surprised, he quickly pretends he's asleep. She sits beside him on the bed, pins him down and points out that her lord is away and the rest of the castle is asleep. This is the first test Gawain faces, where he is tempted to break his knightly code of honor. The wife offers herself to him for sexual pleasure. Gawain is tempted by this offer but fends off her aggressive attempt by politely declining, stating that she is "bound to a better man."(228)

Gawain courteously asks for shelter and tells the castle's court of his crusade. The king of this court says that he knew of the Green Knight and his chapel and told Gawain it was very close. Gawain pleased, made merry with the king. The king liked him very much and made an agreement with Gawain. Gawain would prove his honor to this agreement that the king proposed, " Whatever I earn in the woods will be yours, whatever you win in exchange will be mine." (II, 1106) While in the castle Gawain would receive kisses from the lady of the castle, the king's wife an in loyalty and honor to the king and the agreement he would give the king his kisses that he received in exchange.

This leads Gawain on a journey, battling many creatures and monsters before coming to a castle that is so great it is only comparable by King Arthurs castle. He is invited into the castle as a guest by the king and it’s people. This is where the heroic tale begins to take a different turn then most heroic tales. The king of this realm, King Bertilak de Hautdesert, uses his wife to test Sir Gawain. He did this by ordering his wife to flirt and try to seduce Gawain, however this was only

The following morning, the lord rides out in pursuit of deer, while Gawain is accompanied by the lady of the castle. The lady tries to seduce Gawain, but he politely refuses her advances. However, she kisses him before she departs. After returning to the castle, the lord presents Gawain with a deer, for which Gawain exchanges the kiss he had received from the lord's

Sir Gawain also received three kisses from the host’s wife and happily accepted them. One main reason Sir Gawain did not sleep with the host’s wife was because he was a guest.

But observing his Knight Commander carefully, Perceval saw the corner of the man’s mouth turn up just a fraction. Lionel probably understood that the men needed to have a little fun now and again. Still, Perceval was happy to listen and laugh occasionally, but sharing the details of his experiences with women didn’t seem

sneaks into Gawain room and tries to seduce him but Gawain pushes her off. He shows respect

During his journey to the green knights castle he stops at another kingdom at which he stays a multitude of days. During these days, the king of this lands wife makes it clear that she has a certain interest in Gawain. Gawain resists her acts of unchasity by saying “quote”(Tolkien ##). Sir Gawain resists this young beautiful lady because he knows that it would not be right to do to the king. The lady puts Gawain in a rough spot by saying if he does not comply he is breaking his vows because she is of higher rank but Sir Gawain counters by saying that his host is of higher rank than she. Sir Gawain’s chivalry shines as he openly rejects temptation from his gracious hosts wife. The host was good to Gawain and Gawain was truthful and good to

Here, Gawain is definitely not trying to avoid the woman. It is almost as if the night has changed him, because something would have to account for this dramatic change of behavior. His behavior here is much like that of a boar. Where Gawain does not physically harm the lady as a boar may, he is, as stated before, much more frontal and direct in his dealings with her. In showing this self-confidence far the first time Gawain has finally indicated to the

Perceval remains a very impressionable young boy and his mother teaches him loyalty. For that, Perceval loves him mother dearly. Perceval may not have been the most sophisticated man around, however, when he did know how to do something he did it exceedingly well. He could not forget his love for his God though. God was a huge factor for knights and their beliefs. “Perceval, the story relates, had lost his memory so totally that he no longer remembered God.” (Story of the Grail, 457) Once Perceval found his way back to God, he was seen as the better knight because of his love for Him. Ultimately, Perceval is the one who is graced with being able to see the grail because he was such a simple, hardworking fellow. He did not abuse his strengths or downplay his weaknesses.

Because of the Code of Chivalry, Gawain is trapped between a rock and a hard place. He must be courteous to the lady without offending her.