Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

From this point in the story, Sir Gawain’s Chivalry is put to the ultimate test. The Green Knight bestows Sir Gawain with various trials that he must complete. He does this by taking the form the host, having his wife tempt Gawain, making a deal to exchange winnings, and lastly, putting Gawain’s loyalty and courage to the test towards the end with the threat of losing his life at the axe.

After a moment of consideration, Sir Gawain accepts the terrifying challenge. As he tries to perform the first part of the challenge, he stumbles into an even bigger surprise. As Gawain hits the Green Knight with an ax, the head of the Green Knight falls on the floor. Instead of the Green

Gawain failed his test before he even began by choosing to behead the Green Knight rather than striking a nonlethal blow. In the first part of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain “[b]rought [the axe] down deftly upon the bare neck” of the Green Knight (423). The choice to start the game with a lethal blow shows that he has little care for his chivalric code. Though the Green Knight never specifies that Gawain should not hit him fatally, the agreement states that they will meet in a year and Gawain will receive the same blow, which would not be possible if the Green Knight had died. His first instinct is to kill the Green Knight in order to avoid the outcome of the challenge, which is an act of cowardice that the chivalric code does not

Arthur is stunned by the challenge, and hesitates to respond. When the Green Knight mocks Arthur’s silence, the king steps forward to take the challenge. But when Arthur grips the Green Knight’s axe, Sir Gawain steps in and volunteers to take the challenge himself. In one great blow, Gawain cuts off the knight’s head. The court stands shocked to discover that the now-headless Green Knight picks up his severed head. He rides away with his head in his hand, repeating the terms of the challenge, reminding the young Gawain to seek him in a year and a day at the Green Chapel. The court returns to its festivities, but Gawain is nervous. (He did not expect the Green Knight to live, of course!)

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain courageously steps up to play the green knight’s game. The green knight clearly lays out the terms of the game to Sir Gawain: Sir Gawain can give the green knight any blow with any weapon and a year later the green knight will return the same blow. A year passes and Sir Gawain boldly puts on his armor and embarks on his journey to receive his return blow. After traveling for months, Sir Gawain stumbles upon a castle where he is graciously welcomed. The significant change in clothing of Sir Gawain from armor to soft clothing suggests a failure to the expectations placed upon him by his pentangle and allegiance to Camelot.

The Green Knight agrees if Gawain will come to wherever he thinks the Green Knight will be. Of course, Gawain has no clue where he would find him, so the Green Knight says that he will tell him if Gawain can hit him square on the neck. Then Sir Gawain strikes him directly on his neck, and the Green Knights head rolls off. The Green Knight proceeds to pick up his head and leave, while bleeding terribly from the neck as if he were unharmed. Before he leaves, he tells Sir Gawain to come to the Green Chapel when they agreed. So then a year passes before Gawain comes across his second trial. It occurs while Gawain stays in the castle of a hospitable lord before he is to meet again with the Green Knight. During his stay, the lord and Sir Gawain agree to "exchange what each has won during the day" (Ponsor 128). For three days the lord brings back what he has hunted, and Gawain gives him the kisses he has received from the lady of the castle. However, he also received a magical green scarf from the lady on the third day, but fails to exchange it for it is a token of good luck. When Sir Gawain finally meets with the Green Knight, he prepares to be struck with a scythe, but the Green Knight ends up only giving him a minor scratch on the neck. This is because the knight was testing his honor, and he scratched him because he did not maintain his honor on that third day. He was supposed to hand over

Gawain’s first portrayal of being a true knight comes when the Green Knight makes his appearance in Camelot. The Green Knight first speaks to King Arthur and proposes that they play a “game.” Arthur will strike the Green Knight with his axe, and in return the Green Knight will return the strike in a year and a day. King Arthur agrees to this game and its terms, but as he steps up to accept the challenge, Gawain comes forward and offers to participate in the “game” in place of King Arthur. Sir Gawain says to King Arthur, “I implore with prayer plain that this match should now be mine” (341-342). Gawain goes on to strike the Green Knight, cutting off his head. However, the strike does not kill the Green Knight; he picks up his head from the ground and repeats to Sir Gawain that he will return the blow in a year and a day. In this moment, Gawain’s bravery is clearly showcased. First, he takes a challenge in place of his king, which he did not have to do.

In the book Sir Gawain And the Green Knight, Sir Gawain faces three major tests. The first major test Sir Gawain must face is when the Green Knight comes to King Arthur’s Round Table and offers the challenge. The second major test was when Lord Bertilak’s wide tried to seduce Gawain. The final vital test was Gawain keeping his word by going to the Green Chapel for the challenge. In conclusion, Gawain is a loyal knight and lives by the chivalry code for the most part.

The character of the Green Knight, Sir Bertilak, wholly opposes the Christian, honorable characterization of Gawain. When Gawain comes to meet the Green Knight, he exclaims: “‘Can this be the Chapel Green?/Alack!’ ...Here might/The devil himself be seen/Saying matins at black midnight” (2185-2188). The Green Knight is a fairy, who resides in a parody of a church. His pagan figure contrasts sharply with this characterization of Gawain, who is strongly connected with his Christian faith. Gawain is also a foil to the Green Knight in that Gawain epitomizes courtly manners, whereas the Green Knight lacks courtesy. He traipses into Camelot and acts as though he cannot tell Arthur is king (224-231), and later refers to the courtiers as “beardless children” (280), showing a great lack of manners. Later, as Sir Bertilak is hosting Gawain, it seems that the Green Knight does actually possess courtesy. However, boarding Gawain is revealed to be a part of a grand scheme to shame prideful knights of the Round Table (2456-2459). The illegitimacy of his courtesy toward Gawain shows that the Green Knight lacks the honesty attributed to truly courteous knights. The Green Knight, a pagan figure that shuns the manners of the court, is inverted by the character of Gawain, who epitomizes honorable knighthood in this

Before the blow on his neck his Challenge he accepted did not show on his side he does not have what it takes to be knight. According to the passage it shows how The Green Knight is putting a label on Sir Gawain on being faithful and a coward Knight not a man he disgraced his name among the chapel. According to the Poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” it states “And mocked the prince with many a proud with many reproof;/ You cannot be Gawain, he said, who’s thought so good, ;/ A man who’s never been daunted on a hill or date! ;/ for look how you flinch for fear before anything felt! “(Lines 280-284). A form of an exile from the Green knight’s point of view and his ambitions to breakdown his attitude.as he was cut The Green Knight showed

Sir Gawain shows that he is brave when the Green Knight request King Arthur to take a blow to his head. Sir Gawain steps up and accepts the quest in place

Opening with King Arthur and his knights at round table, the story introduces a Green Knight who is suppose to be executed by King Arthur; However Sir Gawain who is not of common birth shows his obedience and loyalty to King Arthur who states “hold you [his] grim tool steady and show us how it hacks” (Boroff 176) and chops off the head of the Green Knight. After Gawain tries to execute the knight, the Green Knight then tells Gawain to travel to a green chapel where he will be judged for his actions. Because Gawain’s perception of his honor is greater than reality, Gawain does not escape and honors the Green Knight’s request. Other than having a vast amount of courage, Sir Gawain has to defeat wolves and other dangerous beasts to get the green chapel. Even though, Sir Gawain is different from the other knights because he attempts to kill the green knight, Because of the loyalty and bravery he shows, he is considered to be a medieval

King Arthur and his knights are having the holiday feasts around the table in the hall. Suddenly, an unknown green knight enters to their hall on the horseback. He humiliates Arthur and his knights and therefore Arthur invites him to have a fight, but he refuses. However, he challenges someone to strike him with his own axe instead. Gawain, the niece of Arthur, feels offended and stands up to take the challenge. He then chops the green knight’s head. However, the green knight does not fall down from his horse, but goes down and picks up his head. After that, he left and everyone enjoys the feast again. The next day, Sir Gawain accepts his quest sadly to look for the Green Chapel. Although he meets a multitude of enemies on his way, he always

At the beginning of the tale, Sir Gawain struggles with loyalty. The Green Knight came to test the honesty of one person, so he announces a game. No one volunteers because they are stunned by the weirdness of his request. The Green Knight calls out King Arthur himself to take the challenge. So, Arthur takes the challenge but Sir Gawain steps forward to accept his challenge when he was confronted by the Green Knight. Gawain accepts the challenge to chop off the Green Knight’s head, Before he knew that the Green Knight has supernatural abilities. So, after he chops the Green Knights head off, he stills survive. Instead of dying, the Green Knight walked over to his own head, picks it up, turns it to face Gawain, and tells him to meet him at the Green Chapel in a year and a day. Sir Gawain leaves to find the Green Chapel and fulfil his pledge as the end of the year approaches. After riding through many dangers he comes upon a castle. He was welcome by the lord of the castle and the lord decides to invite him in to

Sir Gawain is reluctant to accept the Green Knight’s challenge. He fears for his life. In the end he only accepts the challenge to protect King Arthur’s life and honor. He knows it is his duty to protect King Arthur, but only volunteers to do so at the last second. Sir Gawain also breaks his oath to the Lord of the castle he is staying in. He broke their vow to trade whatever they had earned during the day when he keeps a sash the Lady of the castle gives him because he believes it will protect him during his battle with the Green Knight.