Gawain

romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Pearl Poet, Gawain undergoes a series of challenges that test his adherence to chivalry. In addition, the poem illustrates the rift between the code and human nature instinct. These instances provide examples of the impracticality of the medieval code of chivalry. The first instance where the Pearl Poet shows the differing expectations of chivalry and human nature is when Gawain steps in for his king and takes his place in the…

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a heroic poem that sends Sir Gawain on a quest to defeat the Green Knight in order to gain honour upon return. During his journey, he faces many challenges, but he never loses his faith in God until it comes to live or death decision where he relies on magic. The poem is a classic chivalric ideology and the perfect example, with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table having those traits. Despite the fact that this is a chivalric poem the main focus is…

The stories of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf both tells the stories of two honorable and noble kings, whose bravery is put to the test when they have to overcome obstacles in order to succeed in returning a favor and keeping a promise. There are some similarities and some differences that could be analyzed from these stories due to the fact that they both have heroic reputations that they seem to own up to by the end of them. Although, along with the similarities are the…

In the third section of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the audience is swept through stories of the lord’s hunt and the attempted seduction of Gawain by the lord’s lady. What is the purpose of the detailed inclusion of the hunting scenes in the midst of Sir Gawain facing his seductress? Close analysis reveals that attention to the action of the hunt is crucial to our understanding of Gawain’s attempts not to endanger his religious morality, courtious reputation, and very life. Through…

Similar to other types of heroes, a romantic hero is usually on a quest of some type in order to achieve a particular goal. Within the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the protagonist, Sir Gawain, projects and exhibits all of the characteristics of a romantic hero. This is evident through his character traits, background, and general disposition. Sir Gawain is the youngest of King Arthur’s knights. He is not the most conventional of heroes, which makes him a romantic hero. He states, “I…

This week’s discussion focuses upon Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I will herein go beyond the recitations of the story itself and address the story “between the lines:” Morgan le Fay hated King Arthur, and especially Queen Guinevere. Arthur was the half-brother of Morgan. Arthur was born as the result of a “magical” deception of Merlin, his Uncle (and the understood “Wizard of the Realm”). Morgan bemoaned that her father, the Duke of Cornwall, was killed so Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon,…

piece of literature has a deeper meaning. Comparing and contrasting a piece to each other also brings up similar ideas and reoccurring themes that lead to drawing conclusions about human nature. While working with the poems Beowulf, Lanval, and Sir Gawain within their genres, I find that conditions within societies form a need of a hero figure but that hero varies with values of society and within different times in one’s life as seen with Northrop Frye’s idea of seasons connecting with genre.…

held in high esteem by the medieval society. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a newly appointed knight of King Arthur’s court aspires to follow the code and thus reach the pinnacle of his knighthood glory. Although Sir Gawain committed acts that breached the Code of Chivalry, he can still be considered honorable because he wholeheartedly serves his king and proves that he is deserving of distinction as a knight. First of all, Sir Gawain bravely and courteously serves his king by politely…

eventually becomes a king who must defend his own country. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, a knight of King Arthur’s court accepts a challenge and must persevere to follow through and bring honor back to his uncle’s court. These men are both analogous in their loyalty and devotion, however, both men also face diverse challenges that force them to acknowledge their unique flaws. By comparing and contrasting Beowulf and Sir Gawain, it is shown what it means to be a hero who is also human.…

The theme is revealed through Gawain experiencing his own chivalric imperfections. What ultimately shatters his sense of perfection is fear. The Green Knight’s challenge proves Gawain to fail in the values of battle. By accepting the girdle from Lady Bertilak Gawain failed to uphold the second point of the pentangle: “his five fingers were never at fault” (Armitage 1931). Gawain accepted the girdle form Lady Bertilak after its magical properties were revealed, “the body which is bound within…