At its core, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a story that deals fundamentally with the concept of reciprocation, something which constitutes a sort of transaction between two parties to reach an end (whatever that end may ultimately be). As established right from the beginning, the entire narrative of Sir Gawain focuses on a type of violent “game” that requires reciprocation, as offered by the figure of the Green Knight. As Sir Gawain progresses, we see various scenes of honor and manner that are not all entirely what they seem; in reality, the initially appealing nature of these scenes ultimately flips, becoming shallow and deceptive. Under this idea, I plan to argue that the concept of manners within Sir Gawain is inherently flawed; though
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However, this possible solution faces complications due to the description of Gawain’s life as a member of the Round Table being “the stuff of legend and lore” (pg. 205 line 914). There is no literal grounding how these men see Gawain; simply based off his name and court he is a part of, they make assumptions about his “tacts and manners,” things which they seemingly discuss as brilliant ideals, especially given the infallible diction of “faultless” and “flawless.” Even with this, the system of manners within Sir Gawain remains shallow; for the men in this hall, these things seem to derive from superficial appearance and fantastical, legendary notion - there is no true grounding of mannerisms within this society, making this praise unwarranted and undeserved. As mentioned earlier, the central conflict within Sir Gawain revolves around Gawain’s game with the Green Knight; in looking at the scene where Gawain’s acceptance of the challenge faces reciprocation, more problems with the system of manners within the poem become evident. Before Gawain finally approaches the Green Knight, he receives a girdle which contains the powers to protect him from injury. However, when Gawain finally faces the axe of the Green Knight, he quickly shows signs of
However, this possible solution faces complications due to the description of Gawain’s life as a member of the Round Table being “the stuff of legend and lore” (pg. 205 line 914). There is no literal grounding how these men see Gawain; simply based off his name and court he is a part of, they make assumptions about his “tacts and manners,” things which they seemingly discuss as brilliant ideals, especially given the infallible diction of “faultless” and “flawless.” Even with this, the system of manners within Sir Gawain remains shallow; for the men in this hall, these things seem to derive from superficial appearance and fantastical, legendary notion - there is no true grounding of mannerisms within this society, making this praise unwarranted and undeserved. As mentioned earlier, the central conflict within Sir Gawain revolves around Gawain’s game with the Green Knight; in looking at the scene where Gawain’s acceptance of the challenge faces reciprocation, more problems with the system of manners within the poem become evident. Before Gawain finally approaches the Green Knight, he receives a girdle which contains the powers to protect him from injury. However, when Gawain finally faces the axe of the Green Knight, he quickly shows signs of