The most basic form of action and decision-making mechanism within an individual is that of human instinct, which in turn develops one’s integrity. In the lengthy poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we learn how one man’s actions develop not, only his integrity, honor, and motivation for self pride, but we also learn that everyone makes mistakes and we are all human. The poem is about a man, Sir Gawain, a member of Arthur’s round table, who takes on a challenge from a mystical and mysterious green knight and is forced by his own intuition to proceed through adversity and temptation to fulfill his duty to the challenge and himself. The poem gives multiple instances where his integrity as a chivalrous man and his faith and honor to God
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In the poem we see how Sir Gawain, out of self-pride and manliness decides to take up a challenge greater than he expected. Though it is not until later that he is truly tested against his faith and chivalry. “See, my lord, said the man, and held up the girdle, This belt caused the scar that I bear on my neck”(2505-2506). This quote is form the point at which Sir Gawain is showing his king the reason for the cut on his neck and failure to be honest and faithful to himself. In this instance Gawain is confessing to his lord king Arthur what he had done and how he had in essence messed up. The green girdle was a testament to his failure and his fault. Not only did it cost him a cut on his neck, but also it was a small blow to his integrity. He acted upon his instinctual drive as a man and thankfully through his chivalrous background and understanding of how to be a mannered man, he was able to make mostly positive instinctual decisions that goes to show that even the best of men make …show more content…
If you ever commit something bad and don’t take fault for you actions, the action you committed will begin to eat you from within. In this case of the poem, thankfully Sir Gawain did take fault for his actions and the strangest thing occurred. “Each member of the brotherhood should wear such a belt, A baldric of bright green crosswise on the body, Similar to Sir Gawain’s and worn for his sake: And that became part of the renown of the Round Table, and whoever wore it afterwards was honored” (2516-2520). In these lines, Sir Gawain is being honored by the round table by his great task that he achieved and as a way to honor him they will all wear green belts as a symbol of that honor. The imagery in this explication of the poem goes to show how great that honor was that they gave to Gawain; the big green baldric belt around their bodies representing great honor for all who wore it. Gawain told his king exactly what he did and out of his one small failure through temptation, he ended up becoming one of the most honored knights in king Arthur’s court. This just goes to show that, Gawain, out of honesty and integrity, he was able to benefit from his mistake. He unsurprisingly learned from his mistake and did what was right. In this case, his human instinct gave him the upper hand in the situation although he learned that through temptation
In the poem we see how Sir Gawain, out of self-pride and manliness decides to take up a challenge greater than he expected. Though it is not until later that he is truly tested against his faith and chivalry. “See, my lord, said the man, and held up the girdle, This belt caused the scar that I bear on my neck”(2505-2506). This quote is form the point at which Sir Gawain is showing his king the reason for the cut on his neck and failure to be honest and faithful to himself. In this instance Gawain is confessing to his lord king Arthur what he had done and how he had in essence messed up. The green girdle was a testament to his failure and his fault. Not only did it cost him a cut on his neck, but also it was a small blow to his integrity. He acted upon his instinctual drive as a man and thankfully through his chivalrous background and understanding of how to be a mannered man, he was able to make mostly positive instinctual decisions that goes to show that even the best of men make …show more content…
If you ever commit something bad and don’t take fault for you actions, the action you committed will begin to eat you from within. In this case of the poem, thankfully Sir Gawain did take fault for his actions and the strangest thing occurred. “Each member of the brotherhood should wear such a belt, A baldric of bright green crosswise on the body, Similar to Sir Gawain’s and worn for his sake: And that became part of the renown of the Round Table, and whoever wore it afterwards was honored” (2516-2520). In these lines, Sir Gawain is being honored by the round table by his great task that he achieved and as a way to honor him they will all wear green belts as a symbol of that honor. The imagery in this explication of the poem goes to show how great that honor was that they gave to Gawain; the big green baldric belt around their bodies representing great honor for all who wore it. Gawain told his king exactly what he did and out of his one small failure through temptation, he ended up becoming one of the most honored knights in king Arthur’s court. This just goes to show that, Gawain, out of honesty and integrity, he was able to benefit from his mistake. He unsurprisingly learned from his mistake and did what was right. In this case, his human instinct gave him the upper hand in the situation although he learned that through temptation