'Sir Gawain And The Loathly Lady'

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

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.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by J.R.R. Tolkien, Gawain, a knight of the round table, expresses love and respect to aid his journey. These forms of love, from the beginning to the end, play key roles in demonstrating and maintaining the dignity of his knighthood. The manifestation of Gawain’s love forms a number of relationships over the course of the poem. Accordingly, these relationships test his true vow of chivalry and sustain his credibility as a true knight of the round table.

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.

Tricked by the Green Knight and Morgan le Faye, Gawain, driven by his sense of duty and honor, must sacrifice his own life for those ideals. I believe that though Gawain is a bit foolish in his quest to lose his head, he did make the correct decision in protecting Arthur. Like King Beowulf, the loss of Arthur would have been very detrimental to the society at the time. Gawain sacrifices himself in order to preserve Order.

Even though Gawain describes himself as the weakest knight in terms of physical and mental ability. In my opinion, he is one of the humble and ambitious knight in the Round table. He knowns reputation is something extremely hard to build. In order to, protect the honor and image of the Arthurian court, he accepts the challenge without knowing the supernatural abilities of the green knight. Even after knowing the fact, he keeps his and the court's honor by setting off for the search of the green chapel.

Luckily, Gawain beseeches Arthur by asking if he “Would grant (him) the grace” to come down and take over the fight in his stead. (Lines 343-361) This is an example of Gawain’s famous courtesy. Gawain swoops in and asks to release his boss from the contract of a dual in the most eloquent and almost shy manner imaginable. This relates to pride in that Gawain is the most courteous of the knights and thus is the jewel of his king’s court, but he asks humbly if his Lord and Lady would allow him the privilege of his request. It is Arthur’s pride that gets him into trouble and Gawain’s courtesy that gets him out of it. Though Gawain’s courtesy is an excellent trait it is also a

Being written in the Middle Ages, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight embodies the beliefs and lifestyles of the time period. One aspect of great importance in the Middle Ages is the importance of manhood. Once the mysterious Green Knight challenges the inhabitants of King Arthur's hall, Arthur accepts. Gawain, seeing this as an opportunity to prove himself to his king and relative, seeks permission to take his king's place in the Green Knight's challenge. His motivation is based on his being "the weakest of your warriors and feeblest of wit," and justifies his request by claiming, "loss of my life would be least lamented" (734). His actions make his fellow knights agitated, as they now lay claim to the same request as Gawain.

You really have to look back to grasp what exactly Gawain was putting at risk when he stood up to the challenge to save King Arthur. Not only was his pride and reputation at stake here, but his life as well. And he was the only one of Arthur's court who stood up. He could have just as easily been content to let Arthur have his go, but he showed such vidality and courage by coming forward. ( King Arthur had to since he was the King and had to stand up for his court or be put to shame.)

On the contrary, this type of modesty would invoke feelings of pity.Regardless of what others were thinking at the time, Gawain is determined to bare the cross of his deed in order to gain high renown among his peers and the devotion of the king. King Arthur's demonstrates his appreciation through his words of praise and the feast celebrating Gawain's courage.This is because he is expected, as a knight, to excel at humility and modesty due to the importance of the Christian state of mind in this epic poem. Gawain is a humble knight with a brave heart and many human flaws. Along with humility, the many traits of a good Christian Knight, such as chastity, are shown through Gawain’s encounter with Lady Bertilak. When speaking to lady Bertilak, Gawain admires her in a respectful and sacred approach. “As myself ever can, however long I may live/ would be absolute folly, noble lady, on my word/ I will carry out your desires with all my power/ as I am in all duty bound, and always will be/ the servant of your wishes” (Fitt 3.1544-1548). He assures her that for as long as he shall live, he will remain her noble servant attending to her every wish. Interestingly, although he has promised her to do as she pleases; he rejects her desire of a sexual encounter. He shows humility towards her for he is “completely unworthy” (Fitt 3.1244) of her seduction. He wants to remain true to his word, but cannot come to terms of allowing himself 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

When Sir Gawain is offered the girdle, his knightly principles are questioned. The honorable thing would be to reject the offer or bring it to the lord of the castle, but Gawain places the preservation of his life ahead of chivalry. The knight has withstood the lady’s