Sir Gawain And The Pearl Hero Analysis

Very little information is known about the Pearl poet yet this unknown author lives through his poems as he carefully molds the characters into play. His commentary is a deceptive one, either his character is a valiant hero who upholds his values or is a coward. A hero comes in many forms,however they all must obey a standard that makes them one. Whether it is their own virtues or a code, a hero must always follow without hesitation or question of these commands. His or her acts are solely based on protecting those who are incapable of defending themselves. Such acts are seen in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by the Pearl poet himself, where Sir Gawain risks his life for King Arthur by playing the Green Knights game. While many obstacles lie ahead, Sir Gawain faces a perilous journey in which his image as a valiant knight is questioned, yet despite these temptations he remains true to his virtues.
There are a set of rules, customs and codes that one must …show more content…
The Pearl Poet portrays Gawain as an innocent bystander in, yet, another game of the Green Knight. When Gawain was given the belt, he promised the Lady that he wouldn 't tell her husband, the Lord of the castle. He was not breaking a chivalric code by keeping the belt away from the lord, but rather he was abiding to keeping his word. According to shmoop.com, the belt represented two things, at first the belt represented failure because it was a reminder to Gawain of not adhering to the code of chivalry. But when he returned to King Arthur, every knight wore the same green belt to represent honor, according to page 235 line 2519, " And so it was bound, to the Round Table 's renown, And whoever wore it was evermore honored,..." Unlike Gawain, the symbolism of the belt evolved twice in the poem. The Pearl Poet displayed Gawain as a stagnant character that was faced with corruption and tests of his life