Sir Kay

Chivalry: Not a Code of the Past Just because knights are no longer common, does that mean chivalry is dead? Has the presence of honorable men vanished from society? I believe that chivalry is not dead, but rather it is simply different than it was in the medieval age. The standards of what is polite and chivalrous change with our ever-progressing society. For example, long ago it would have been common for knights to fight with swords over a lady, but now, chivalry can be something as…

Throughout Sir Thomas Malory’s epic romance, Le Morte D’Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table repeatedly find themselves pressured to behave in ways that are contradictory to their knightly code . The restrictive social structure of Camelot, along with the problematic nature of the Pentecostal Oath , produces a paradoxical environment where knights find themselves compromised by opposing obligations and expectations. For example, King Arthur’s finest knight, Sir Launcelot, is compelled to go…

In the old English tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain displays many different aspects of his character. At the beginning of the novel, Sir Gawain is seen as brave, honorable. He steps up to the daring challenge presented by the Green Knight, saying “I am the slightest, the dullest of them all;/ My life the least, my death no loss” (Sir Gawain 354-356). This shows Gawain’s bravery, and embraces his code of honor. As he sets out on his quest, the reader is given a clear picture of…

strength, and knighthood. In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” the importance and significance of armor is shown both physically and spiritually. Physically, armor is laid upon Sir Gawain, in the form of silver, gold and other various metals. The armor itself is very important as it shows Sir Gawain’s transition into a knight with much nobility and loyalty. Spiritual armor is also an important factor in Sir Gawain’s transition, such as the pentangle displayed on Sir Gawain’s shield, and the…

keeping one’s word could have been considered chivalrous. In Thomas Malory’s “Sir Launcelot du Lake,” and John Steinbeck’s “The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights,” chivalry is alive. Chivalry is shown to be alive in Thomas Malory’s “Sir Launcelot du Lake”. For example, When Sir Launcelot was taken prisoner by four queens, he was asked to either choose one of the four queens or to be left to die in a cell. Sir Launcelot showed chivalry when he responded to the queens by saying,…

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, much of the action revolves around the games that involve challenges for the character. These games created intrigue and conflict among the characters. They had major impact on Sir Gawain and the other Knights. The games mostly impacted Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain’s bravery and his trust were put to the test by playing. The first game was a test of the Knights bravery. The green knight came to challenge the Knights. The Green Knight challenge them to a game of a…

conflict is Sir Gawain deciding whether his knightly virtues are more important than his own life. He has to search for the Green Knight who has supernatural abilities. He did not know this when he accepted the challenge but still decides to keep his word. He succeeds in decapitating the Green Knight but he survives. Since Sir Gawain agreed to the rules of the games he must return in a year and one day. Gawain struggles with keeping his word because he wants to survive. 2. Sir Gawain is…

At first glance the stories of “Beowulf” and “Gawain and the Green Knight” would appear to be very different. In the one you have a hero who does not mind bragging about what his heroic actions before he takes on the monster Grendel and in the other you have a quiet and dedicated knight, gentle and brave, facing another knight who does not exhibit many knightly characteristics. There are similarities though and a close reading of the stories will point out that the stories may much closer than…

The poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a fourthteen century Middle English poem. It was also one of the best known Arthurian stories of the fourthteen century. The Sir Gawain and the Green Knight fits into the genre of medieval romance because of the Middle English language. Some of the ways that makes the poem medieval romance is the ideal of chivalry, the element of supernatural, and the element of romance. Chivalry was very common during the fourthteen century. In Sir Gawain and the…

The aspects of Religion within Gawain and the Green Knight and Dream of the Rood are important to understand the meanings behind these works. The Dream of the Rood presents Christianity by connecting it with the original Celtic religion. In Gawain and the Green Knight, Christianity is used in the story but not in such a direct light. Gawain uses magic to explore the popular ideas and stories of the Catholic belief. By looking at the presentation of Christianity in these two works one can see how…