The test of knighthood
Each day something new is learned, whether it be school work or life lessons. For example a dog learning to fetch or a student getting penalized because of plagiarism. Epics give us an understanding of what the people of that time could think of. Throughout history stories have been told to show people life lessons and morals. That was all they had back then. A perfect example is the epic Sir Gawain and the Green knight. Sir Gawain was tested though the entire story. In The epic Sir Gawain and The Green Knight symbolism is portrayed with things such as the wife being temptation, the green chapel as a learning experience and the axe for fear. First of all the wife symbolizes temptation. Sir Gawain is unaware of the wife and what she was put up to.
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The thought of getting caught with the wife was what sir Gawain feared. The epic mentions “He feared even more what evil might follow his fall/ If he dared to betray his just duty as guest to his host” (lines 75-76). Sir Gawain is over thinking the fact that he might get caught by the host. That would be considered dishonorable. Like all guest he comes to a conclusion that he must be grateful and not dishonorable. The epic also mentions “My wife’s advances for I myself arranged them./ It was I who sent her to test you.” (Lines 372-373). The green knight explains to Sir Gawain that he set him up basically. The wife tried to seduce him and he denied her. The test was to see if he was worthy of being a knight. Honor is a trait that a knight must have and sir Gawain proved to be honorable. “Later at the Green Chapel, it is revealed that the host is the Green Knight, who at the behest of the enchantress Morgan le Faye had sought to test the pride of Camelot...” (Includes bibliography). The Green knight confesses to be the host. Also he let Sir Gawain know of his test he put him
There are times in life when one must tell a little white lie, but there are other times that one may take their lie too far. In Burton Raffel’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain selfishly deceives the Round Table so that he may achieve his own ambitions. Gawain tries to show the Round Table that he is more courageous, capable, and chivalrous than he really is. One of the motives behind Gawain’s deception is that he wants to be accepted by the other knights in the Round Table.
The Green Knight says he "know of the courtesies, and conduct, and kisses" (line 2360). He acknowledges that he 's aware of the kisses he received from his wife, for that is the reason he receives kisses from Sir Gawain. Despite Sir Gawain kissing the Green Knight 's wife, he goes on to say he is "the most faultless fellow on earth" (line 2364). The Green Knight continues to show he 's content with Sir Gawain 's continuous wrongdoing, since he was only acting this way to save his ow
The ideals of the Pentangle and the Chivalric Code allow Sir Gawain to be known as the greatest knight by elevating the expectations placed on him. With virtues such as friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy, and piety from the Pentangle along with a moral code as strong as the Chivalric Code, Gawain is set apart from other knights and tried with higher standards. Many of these ideals would inevitably contradict one another, which makes his efforts to abide by them extremely noble. As difficult as they may be to follow though, without both the Pentangle and the Chivalric Code, Gawain would stand in line with the other knights rather than above. Religion, being represented in both the Pentangle and the Chivalric Code, is a leading virtue
Sir Gawain In the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain displays his good conduct, like bravery and courage. Gawain proved he was brave because he overcame several obstacles, like the temptation of the host’s wife, who was very attractive. Another obstacle was the Green Knight.
Furthermore, Sir Gawain didn’t have a clue where was going, He only knew to go the Green Chapel. Even when questioned by a servant concerning the Green Knight, Sir Gawain simply answered: “Though he be a quarrelsome knave With a cudgel great and grim, The Lord is strong to save: His servants trust in him,” (David and Simpson 157). This same servant provided Sir Gawain with an opportune escape, urging Gawain to seek safety even in despite of ruining Gawain’s
The Green Knight decides to test Sir Gawain because he wanted to see if he really had respect, honor, valor, and loyalty to his lord and/or king. The lord of the castle tested the chivalrous values of Sir Gawain throughout the story, using a game that he created. The game involved the Lord hunting and Sir Gawain remaining at the castle for three days, each night the two had exchange their winnings of the day without having to say where or how they got the prize. The Green knight presents Sir Gawain with the game with the circumstance of his wife, acting as the host, which supplied Gawain’s winnings. The game in the story acts as a concept for the overall theme of
Surprisingly, Sir Gawain is the only knight to accept the dare. Next, he tells everyone in Camelot that he is “the weakest, well I know, and wit feeblest, and the loss of my life would be least of any”(l. 128). Before Sir Gawain hits the Green Knight, he adds one final condition to their agreement. In addition, he tells Sir Gawain he must go to his house. Finally, Sir Gawain strikes the Green Knight.
Which led to the Green Knight explaining to Gawain that he is actually the same lord of the castle where Gawain spent his holidays. The first two blows, he claims, were in return for the way Gawain returned the kisses of his wife, following the rules of their game as an honest man should. The third blow, he says, was for Gawain’s failure to return the green girdle to him on the last day. But because Gawain’s failing was only because he wanted to save his life, and not because he's just dishonorable, the Green Knight forgives him. He leaves Gawain with only a scar and a girdle as a reminder of his very human sin.
In this time period a knight’s honor was everything, without it the noblemen would become a huge disgrace. Sir Gawain’s honor is immediately tested at the beginning of the poem. He gives his word in the beheading game and intends to keep it even though it’s obvious that the Green Knight had tricked him. “Blood gutters brightly against his green gown, yet the man doesn’t shudder or stagger or sink, but trudges towards them […] gripping his head by a handful of hair. Then he settles himself in his seat with the ease of a man unmarked” (429-439).
Berlitak does indeed think that even though there is such a problem in Sir Gawain’s honesty, it is unimportant considering Gawain’s concern for his own life. On the other hand, he analyzes himself for his own behavior of receiving the girdle from the woman and not returning. Evaluating Sir Gawain as the ideal warrior of the era, it would disagree according to many different perspectives. When the green knight abruptly appears, Gawain bravely, but recklessly, accepts the challenge against the knights of King Arthur. Sir Gawain, while courteous and noble, he may be too immature to go through with his many adventures.
Sir Gawain shows loyalty and humility when he makes the decision of honoring the promise he made with the Green Knight. This humility drives him to set off to pursue the Green Knight to honor the pact they agreed on. On his arrival at the Green chapel, he calls the Green Knight who emerges to greet him and to fulfill the terms of the contract (Cathell). Sir Gawain presents his neck voluntarily to the Green Knight who feigns two blows (Cooke 4). This is a commitment and a sign of piety that Gawain manifests.
This tradition is carried down through generations and becomes a symbol of honor. Like most medieval romance heroes, Gawain’s adventure ends up teaching him a lot about himself – in this case, that he’s not perfect, no matter what anybody says and how hard he might try to be. Both are Civilized and Wild. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, give importance between civilization and the natural world outside of it, Gawain is the most closely connected to civilization.
Gawain, who had struck a deal with the lord to surrender all things he received during his stay in the lord’s dwelling, fails to do so in the name of self-preservation. The lord’s wife gifts Sir Gawain a green sash rumored to protect its possessor from physical harm. Gawain, recalling his inevitable meeting with the Green Knight, decides to contradict his agreement with the lord and “hid[es] it away from all hands and eyes” (Line 1875). His decision blatantly violated the chivalrous code, “failing a moral test in agreeing to hide the girdle from the husband, with whom he has the prior arrangement to exchange winnings” (West 9).
Gawain is courteous to no end, even asking for permission to “abandon [his] bench and stand by [Arthur]” (Pearl Poet l. 344) so he may risk his own life instead of his kings to abide by the Green Knights game. He even humbly states that he “[is] the weakest” (l. 354) and that it would be the least lost of he was to parish which is untrue. Gawain is also extremely courteous when he is denying the wife’s attempts to seduce him saying he is “a knight unworthy” (l.1245). He plays a game of wits as he must not offend her advances but at the same time must not let the wife win the “game” because then he would have to lay with her and that would be uncourteous to his host, Lord Bertilak. The only time Gawain faults in his courteousness is when he refuses to acknowledge the agreement he made with Lord Bertilak which was “whatever [Lord Bertilak] win[s] in the wood shall at once be [Gawain’s] and whatever gain [Gawain] may get [he] shall give in exchange” (ll. 1107-08).
Odyssey and Beowolf are both literary epics. A literary epic can be defined as a “long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds. ”(Yoshida). A literary epic has general characteristics. They typically deal with myths, heroic legends, religious tales, animal stories, or philosophical ideas.