The Ideas Of Heroism In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Part One: Hero: a word rolls off the tongue easily, but is more than difficult to define. The word hero is thrown around a lot these days. So, who is actually a hero? Is Caitlyn Jenner a hero? Superman? A marine? A single parent? Honestly, no one really knows. Heroism is such a tricky and subjective term and every single person you talk to could define it differently and still technically be correct. The first and foremost thing a hero should be is humble. A hero does not seek admiration or glory for their heroic undertakings. They perform their heroic deed because they want to and because it is the right thing to do. They do not expect a trophy or money or any kind of prize for doing their good deed. They only do what they do for the good of doing so. A hero is imperfect. Perfection does not make a hero, quite the …show more content…
He fits the idea of a hero since he does not allow himself to be consumed by hubris, which tends to be very common in stories of heroism. He even accepts his grim fate with a sense of humility despite the fact that he knows he will most likely die in the process of fulfilling his duty as …show more content…
His fault was in lying, a twisted fault played on by The Green Knight during Sir Gawain’s stay at the castle. When the lady of the house gave him a sash of green silk he failed to mention it to the lord. This simple act of decide proved that Sir Gawain was capable of “vice and villainy” (Sir Gawain and The Green Knight 1667). This alone proves that Sir Gawain is just like everyone else, but he is still an honorable hero. If he had no capacity for evil, then the good he did would be pointless. Thus, “the sight of” the “sash shall humble” his spirits (Sir Gawain and The Green Knight