Gilgamesh and Sir Gawain may seem like completely different characters, they do however, share some common themes. Their journeys both lead them through initiation to higher truths and maturity with help from outside themselves. The Gods come together to ask Aruru for assistance with Gilgamesh as he has grown so strong, prideful and purely destructive. They create Enkidu, the wild man from the steppe, to tame Gilgamesh. Gawain’s journey is a result of Morgan Le Fay’s attempt to frighten Guinevere to death by the presence of the Green Knight. Gawain learns truths about the difficulty of human nature and Gilgamesh becomes a better king through learning the importance of love and friendship. So, in both examples something outside of themselves
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Out of necessity he takes his journey to protect his king and fellow knights. His struggle is in a sense over death but truly it is more of a denial of his Christian duty by choosing magic over faith. He is repeatedly tempted to have sex with lady Bertilak and though his courteousness is nearly his demise, he escapes her advances, merely kissing her. He is so chivalrous and so polite, by his inability to be rude not shunning her away he allows her several opportunities to woo him into bed. In their last encounter she makes him an offer he can’t refuse. As he is soon to face death, Lady Bertilak offers him her green garter, which is said to give the wearer immunity to any deadly blow. Gawain fails his religious duty when he accepts the garter. His quest leads him from Chivalry to shame and back again. He arrives at the Green Church where he is to receive the strike from knight and his axe
Gilgamesh’s hubris is his greatest downfalls, where as it is Gawain’s courteousness and chivalry that is his undoing. Gilgamesh has a responsibility to be a shepherd to the people of his kingdom. He is however an awful, brumal attendant plundering from his subjects all he can stomach. He stops at nothing to satisfy himself. Gawain is a perfect example of human sacrifice when he takes up his chivalric duty, chops off the head of the Green Knight, and agrees to find him in a year and a day to receive a strike from the axe as
Out of necessity he takes his journey to protect his king and fellow knights. His struggle is in a sense over death but truly it is more of a denial of his Christian duty by choosing magic over faith. He is repeatedly tempted to have sex with lady Bertilak and though his courteousness is nearly his demise, he escapes her advances, merely kissing her. He is so chivalrous and so polite, by his inability to be rude not shunning her away he allows her several opportunities to woo him into bed. In their last encounter she makes him an offer he can’t refuse. As he is soon to face death, Lady Bertilak offers him her green garter, which is said to give the wearer immunity to any deadly blow. Gawain fails his religious duty when he accepts the garter. His quest leads him from Chivalry to shame and back again. He arrives at the Green Church where he is to receive the strike from knight and his axe
Gilgamesh’s hubris is his greatest downfalls, where as it is Gawain’s courteousness and chivalry that is his undoing. Gilgamesh has a responsibility to be a shepherd to the people of his kingdom. He is however an awful, brumal attendant plundering from his subjects all he can stomach. He stops at nothing to satisfy himself. Gawain is a perfect example of human sacrifice when he takes up his chivalric duty, chops off the head of the Green Knight, and agrees to find him in a year and a day to receive a strike from the axe as