The Characteristics Of A Hero 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

Throughout the Arthurian legends, Sir Gawain seems to be the epitome of a noble knight. He is always putting his king before himself, repeatedly sacrificing his own life in some way for King Arthur. He is an honorable knight that lives up to his word. This is evident in both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell." In these stories, Gawain lives up to the expectations of a knight belonging to the legendary Round Table.

Heroes come in many forms. The construction of "the heroic" has taken many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the "hero" personality. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criterion, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.

A hero is someone who is idealized for his courage and noble qualities. Beowulf and Sir Gawain can certainly be called heroes. They both have many qualities that are expected of heroic knights and warriors. They are both brave, gallant, and skilled men, but are they the perfect heroes their people believe them to be? While they are portrayed as perfect heroes and they possess many heroic qualities, Beowulf and Sir Gawain are far from perfect.

According to Tom Hanks, a hero is “somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.” A hero is someone who puts another’s needs before themselves, is strong, and courageous. Sir Gawain and Beowulf are epic heroes who embody these ideals. Sir Gawain is part of King Arthur’s court, and he is the sole knight who bravely accepts the Green Knight’s challenge in order to protect his king. On the contrary, Beowulf is a warrior and a king. He is constantly battling monsters for the glory and fame. Sir Gawain is more honorable, because he has superior beliefs, motivations, and is more courageous.

An archetypal analysis of Gawain’s quest reveals some significant changes that occur in the hero’s character. We will analyze the progress of the hero, Gawain, as he ventures out to complete his quest. By analyzing the works of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight along with The Hero With A Thousand Faces, and how it completes the Hero’s Journey.

Even in the middle ages of literature, a story such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight had many aspects of Joseph Campbell’s view of the hero’s journey. In the story of our character Sir Gawain accepts a “Call to adventure” (Campbell 45) and goes on a quest that will go through many of the archetypes. Likewise, there lies one character, The Green Knight, that can be many of the archetypal characters in the cycle of the hero’s journey. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight dramatically demonstrates how a single character can play many archetypal roles.

"What makes a man a hero? Where lies the line which, when crossed, changes a mortal man into a legend? World leaders of our generation are mockeries of real men, more like Pilates than Thomas Mores." ( Gagne) In the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the definition of a hero is clearly explained. Gawain is faced with trials and tribulations throughout the poem, but what clearly defines the crossover from man to hero?

A hero is a person who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for a greater good. During the time period of which the poem of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight was written there were actually things one had to possess that made them an “Epic Hero,” which consisted of things like a Noble Birth, Superhuman Capabilities, Vast Traveling, being an Unmatched Warrior, Cultural Legend, Humility, and Battling Supernatural Foes. Initially, heroism is the act of being a hero, bravery along with courage make a hero to be what they are for the world. “Every hero in the epic genre is a man who goes into dangerous situations either unafraid or with resolve, despite [their] fear” (Barclay, para. 6). In this case, Sir Gawain sets out to the Green Chapel to settle the deal between himself and the Green Knight despite knowing he will die. Sir Gawain fits the theme of heroism because of his chivalry acts through the honor code of a knight.

In Arthurian romances, the knight Gawain fulfills a central role as a member of the legendary Round Table. Alone or accompanied by other chivalrous knights, Gawain traverses the land of Logres, searching for adventures and achieving great feats of heroism. To those he encounters on his quests, Gawain often represents the epitome of chivalry and knightly valor. However, Gawain’s actual characterization is not constant in every tale where he is present. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Chretien de Troye’s Perceval, and Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, Gawain’s character vacillates from being the paragon of chivalry to the antithesis of heroism, and these characterizations serve as a foil to the figures of

The values of an Epic Hero is shown through many literary writings including the Iliad, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The textbook dictionary definition of a hero is a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.Achilles from the Iliad and Beowulf were two heroes who fought to show their superior power and were very egotistical. They had motives as to why they fought, and only considered their gain. On the other hand, Sir Gawain, from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, had no motive to take on the Green Knight. He only did it to benefit King Arthur and to make it easier on the other Knights in Arthur's court. Sir Gawain demonstrates the true meaning of heroism through his selflessness,courage and humanity.

According to the definition, a hero is one who embodies the values of their society. In the epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous author, the character Beowulf is used to convey the value that Anglo-Saxons placed on courage, strength, and loyalty.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem that tells the story of one of King Arthur’s knights, Sir Gawain. He is one of the noblest and brave of all of Arthur's knights. The poet who is unknown depicts this magical tale of heroism and adventure. During the story, the main character, Sir Gawain undergoes a serious transformation of his character. Bertilak enters King Arthur’s court as the green knight, a mysterious and mythical character. Sir Gawain’s story of that change is put in motion. Change, and specifically transformation happens throughout the poem. Bertilak is almost Godlike, and Bertilak is who helps to create Sir Gawain’s transformation, through which he becomes more like Christ.

Heroes have a long history of being an important aspect of mythos, for many reasons. For example, they act as goals for people to strive to emulate in virtue if not in actions, weapons against fears that can be difficult to articulate reasonably, or even semi-familiar forms of entertainment. Whatever the reasons may be exactly, it can be argued that Sir Gawain of King Arthur’s Round Table in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight represents a heroic figure within the poem. Even though Gawain did flinch first from the Green Knight’s threatening blow at the end of the poem, shadowing his faith in his own safety and thus God’s protection, which at the time of the poem’s creation was close to sacrilege, there is context within the text as well as surrounding it that indicate he is a hero because he is overall a faithful man who doesn't believe in breaking his word, he contains the necessary requirements to be a Good Knight, and has a dedication to the defense of the honor and reputation of his King and Court.

An archetypal analysis of Gawain’s quest reveals some significant changes that occur in the hero’s character. By analyzing the progress of the hero, Gawain, as he ventures out to complete his quest, utilizing the works of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight along with The Hero With A Thousand Faces, it will be clearer to position the contents within the Hero’s Journey.