Sir Gawain's Love: A Narrative Fiction

husband and children began to set in, I think she realized she lacked worth and was not content

And now and then in the afternoon she would burst through the door holding flowers and cookies and smelling fresh like the outdoors. She would stay for a moment or two and chat about with the children about the wonderful weather or her garden. The children would show her the pictures that they had drawn and ask her questions about their mother. Which she could never answer, but she would try.

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)

“Figures,” Tibby said and crossed her arms. “Always sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Gawain however will not coward out and will remain loyal to the agreement and shrugs off the warning. He eventually runs into the Green Chapel and calls out for the Green Knight. The Green Knight takes three swings at Gawain purposefully missing the first two, and then nipping the neck of Gawain on the third blow. Gawain, not harmed, arose and requested to fight the Green Knight drawing his sword. The Green Knight says he didn’t want to fight only because Gawain has fulfilled the agreement already. He explains that he spared Gawain the first two times for receiving the kisses back from him but the third blow was for not returning the Green Girdle he received. Gawain was thankful and explained that women were the reason for men’s downfall giving examples. The Green Knight introduces himself as Lord Bertilak and explained the Old lady whose face was covered was his Aunt Morgan Le Fay, Merlin’s apprentice, and that he had a spell cast on him. He says the main reason he came to King Arthur’s court was Morgan Le Fay’s plan to scare Queen Guinevere to death. He asked Gawain to come and stay at his castle because he is loved there but he declines and rides back to Camelot with The Girdle under his left arm to show that he committed fault to enemies back along the way as well as the

Do the kisses symbolize a feeling of affection between Gawain and the host, or is this just done because they have made a promise to each other? Although it is never really made clear in the text, I feel that the kisses are exchanged because of the agreement that they made between each other. Another scene in the passage that is striking is the flurtation between Gawain and the host's wife. "And ever our gallant knight beside the gay lady; So uncommonly kind and complaisant was she; With sweet stolen glances, that stirred his stout heart; That he was at his wits' end, and wondrous vexed" (Norton, 236, lines 1657-1660.) I found this scene to be quite humorous, and I am also able to see Gawain falling for her each time she comes to visit him. The scene adds a little flavor to the passage, even though it is another concealed test in Gawain's journey to the Green Knight's chapel.

There are three times Gawain is tempted by the lady and three times the lord goes hunting. The hunt of the animals represents Gawain's struggle in the bedroom. The first hunted animal was the deer. The deer was a startled, frightened animal that was on the run. It was "dazed with dread" as it was turned back and forth by the beaters. It was cornered just like Gawain. When the lady comes to his room the first time, he is like a frightened deer caught off guard by her seduction. He was laying in bed where he pretended to sleep when she first came in and as she sat by his bed he got up, "as startled from sleep". At the end he does give the lady a kiss, but the kiss did not appear to be anything more than a chivalrous kiss that was frequently given at that time. Therefore Gawain did past the test, and that is why he gave Bertiak the kiss when he returned from the hunt. But also Gawain could be giving the lady the kiss to tide her over just for the day, only to savoir his advance and plan for a conquest some time in the future. He did tell the lady that she was the one for him and there was no one more beautiful.

Through all these perils and dire situations, Gawain never loses sight of his nobility and reverence for God. Gawain's trials and hardships many would have begged God for relief and shelter. Many tears would be shed, beseeching God to change the circumstances in their favor. However, Gawain asks for nothing of the sort. He asks God and Mary merely for a place to hear and participate in Christman

Gawain then rides up to the gate and asks for lodgings for this eve of Christ's birth. This simple scene shows how the pentangle can have true balance. As Hollis says, "Gawain prays for a solution to his current predicament, and upon finding a solution he procures his lodgings through courtly requests. Finally, he properly thanks Jesus for his 'good' fortune." As a result of Gawain's virtue he gains entrance into the castle. However, his entrance into the castle is for reasons that he is unaware of at the time. From the instant Gawain sets foot inside the castle his downfall is inevitable.

On Christmas morning, for example, instead of finding comfort in the spiritual meaning of Christmas, Gawain finds comfort being seated with the lady. The bedroom scenes, however, depict the true moral battles of Gawain. During the three-day period, there is a spiraling trend. The events keep happening in the same way on a higher and higher level until Gawain is forced to give in to her desires. While he is able to see that his chastity is more important than his courtesy, he is still desperately trying to balance the two (DeRoo, 314). His inability to choose between them leads him to accept the girdle. While Mary, representing his spiritual love and faith, saves him from losing his chastity, "great peril between them stood, unless Mary for her knight should pray" (Adams, 241). Gawain still denies his love for her when faced with the love of the lady. Gawain's loss of devotion is the key to his downfall, for it was his faith in Mary, which gave him strength and courage.

Sir Gawain passes by this castle and decides to enter. Once he arrives, there is a king and his wife living there. The king acts gratifying toward Sir Gawain welcomes him with open arms then makes a deal with him. The deal is that the king will go and hunt during the day and at the end of the day, Sir Gawain must give him whatever he has received during the day. The first day, the wife tries to seduce Sir Gawain and give him a golden ring but, he denies her so therefore, at the end of the day Sir Gawain’s gift is a kiss. The second day, the wife offers Sir Gawain a sash that will protect his life, so he decides to accept it to protect him from getting beheaded as well. That night, Sir Gawain deceived the king and gave him a kiss for his earnings from that

Here, Sir Gawain follows the code of comitatus and helps King Arthur by agreeing to marry the old and ugly Dame Ragnell. Sir Gawain tells King Arthur that even though Dame Ragnell is as foul as Belsabub, he will marry her to keep King Arthur's honor. The honor and friendship of King Arthur mean a lot to Sir Gawain. According to comitatus, Sir Gawain has a duty and obligation to help his king. Sir Gawain's willingness to throw away his life, for the friendship and honor of King Arthur, proves that Sir Gawain is a very noble and loyal knight. He treats Dame Ragnell in a proper manner, in the same way that he would if she was young and beautiful. During the fourteenth century women were praised high in the society. It was a duty of the knight to treat his wife or lady in a gentile and graceful manner. On the wedding night, when Ragnell asks for his embrace he says to Dame Ragnell: "I wolle do more. Then for to kisse, and God before!" (343). Gentleness and nobility are gifts from God, and Sir Gawain seems to posses these gifts. Sir Gawain decides to kiss Dame Ragnell even though she is ugly. He is treating Dame Ragnell in a very gentle and noble manner.

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

"Alright son, I might be there later for a drink or two", said Mr. Wallace.

The first instance where Readers can see Gawain fall to temptation is when the mistress of the king begins to visit Gawain. After three attempts to have Gawain fall for her, Gawain finally opens up to her. Gawain claims “ I wish I had my most