Experiences in life often connect with characters and events in literature. These connections give readers a deeper understanding and comprehension of the text. Such a pattern is Archetypal Pattern which consists of three stages of a journey that the reader can identify in works to further the meanings in the stories. In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, translated by Y. R. Ponsor, Sir Gawain undergoes such a journey. A specific aspect of this pattern highlighted in this poem is the initiation and trials of Sir Gawain. As King Arthur's nephew, he sits “among the group on the high dais” due to his blood and not his accomplishments (124). Sir Gawain is young and has yet to truly prove himself and earn his right to his seat at the table. When the …show more content…
Finally, King Arthur himself accepts the challenge only for Sir Gawain to beg for the contest. Saying he is “the least brave” and the “least deserving to be of this company”, King Arthur grants him the chance to show his abilities (127). This point represents his initiation of his journey. The author demonstrates this by showing how Sir Gawain has left the safety and embarked into the dangerous world. He easily chops off the Green Knight’s head but his true challenge and test of character is still to come. After a year passes, it is time to complete the deal and receive the strike from the knight. His trials begin as he resides in a castle with a lord and his wife. A agreement is set that the lord and Sir Gawain would exchange what each has won during the day. Sir Gawain completes the first two days, but does give the lord “the magical green silk scarf the lady has given him as protection” despite the agreement (129). He had failed a trial; he was dishonest and disloyal to the lord. He was scared of death which tainted his mindset. This selfish action proves to hurt him later in the poem in his final trial with the Green
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a Middle English romance poem written by an anonymous West Midlands poet. Sir Gawain, survives two tests: the challenge, to behead the fearsome Green Knight and to let him retaliate a year later at the distant Green Chapel; and the temptation to commit adultery with the wife of Lord Bercilak,whose castle he stays in when headed to the chapel. this story of Sir gawain follows closely with Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. The start of the story takes place in King Arthur’s great hall.
Sir Gawain is an extremely humble man, one that is in complete submission to his lord King Arthur in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. While many characters in literature, such as Achilles, are a fireball of rage and testosterone, Sir Gawain is calm, cool, and always in complete control of himself. Gawain is humble as well, describing himself as the “weakest of [King Arthur’s] warriors”, one that is barely fit to sit at the King’s royal table (Armitage: Fitt 1: 734). Sir Gawain, according to Confucius in Analects, would be considered a gentleman, “straight as an arrow” in the noble’s court and on the battlefield (Confucius: Book XV: 15.7). He is extremely courteous, a man of his word, and performs the role of a knight adamantly.
Sir Gawain’s knighthood to the core is tested, going through a multitude of tests to see just how chivalrous he truly is. In the fantastical medieval romance poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the main character, Sir Gawain embarks on a journey which helps him grow and improve
Sir Gawain was not afraid of a challenge. Although the narrator points out that no one steps up to the test at first, when King Arthur was tryed, the strong Gawain accepted the challenge by saying “I beseech, before all here, That this melee may be mine,” (David and Simpson 121). Gawain distinguished himself by displaying his brawn, therefore bringing honor to his status as a Knight. As blank and blank said in their essay “Name of Essay”, Insert an essay quote from Mrs. White here). Farther developing his knight status, Sir Gawain did not simply ask the king for the affair, he continued with a length eloquent speech, possibly to showcase his intelligence and the tenacity of his mind.
The main theme of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the journey to maturity of Gawain, the hero. During the passage, Gawain goes through three tests on his development. First, Gawain shows courage and resourcefulness when he volunteers to take the Green Knight’s challenge instead of Arthur doing so. Second, Gawain shows authority, self-restraint, and integrity when he denies the sexual endeavours of the lady of the house. Lastly, Gawain shows bravery when he faces death by keeping his meeting with the Green
Essay: Consider how the Theme of courage is treated in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It has to be said that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is arguably one of the greatest middle English poems of the 14th Century. The author of the text, whom, amazingly is still unknown tells the reader, through the medium of poem the courage of the Great Sir Gawain as he bravely challenges the Green Knight. The poem also shows the courage of others. In Medieval times and especially medieval writings, there was a great engrossment with courage.
Although Sir Gawain does not want to take the Green Knight’s challenge, he honorable takes the place of King Arthur and lies about his worth. The Green Knight arrives carrying an axe and holly, symbolizing peace and war, but tells them that he “travel[s] in peace and seek[s] no trouble” (12). Despite saying that he wants no trouble, he proposes a game involves one strike with his axe by whoever is brave enough for another done by him a year later. The court is baffled by his request, and when no one speaks up to take the Green Knights challenge, he ridicules them by conveying that “all the pageantry and power of the Round Table made nothing by the words of one man” (13). After the Green Knight finishes mocking the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur boldly takes the challenge until Sir Gawain politely requested to take his place.
In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," the hero's journey enhances the theme of the nature of chivalry. The protagonist, Sir Gawain, is presented as the epitome of a chivalric knight. As he embarks on his journey to confront the Green Knight, he faces a series of trials that test his adherence to the code of chivalry. Through these trials, Gawain learns the true meaning of chivalry - not just outward displays of bravery and honor, but also the internal qualities of humility, honesty, and selflessness. One of the 12 stages of the hero's journey, the "Meeting with the Mentor," plays a particularly important role in Gawain's development as a knight.
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).
NAME INSTRUCTOR COURSE DATE The Five Knightly Virtues of Sir Gawain Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is the most known 14th century poem that depicts the Arthurian legend. It has been translated from a Middle English dialect by Simon Armitage; unfortunately, very little is known about the original author. Sir Gawain is the protagonist as he is the major source of conflict when he struggles to decide whether his “knightly virtues” are more important than his own life.
Not all heroes are perfect, but some are nobler than others. In the story of Sir Gawain, we find out that even legends, such as Sir Gawain made mistakes. In today’s time, most heroes are thought of as militaristic accomplishments, such as badges, wars won, and saving lives. Sir Gawain was a hero, not because of great accomplishments but because he was driven by his bravery, nobility, and virtue.
Literary Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The selection of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows the basic format of the adventure. The author emphasizes communion to show the loyalty and community between King Arthur and his knights. The symbolism behind the relationship between Sir Gawain to humans and the Green Knight to the merciful God further shows the relations of this medieval romance to the Bible.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight the theme is based on integrity, all of which is categorized in a romance. Knights are judged by their behavior and also by the code of chivalry. In this poem, King Arthur and his knights are challenged. The chivalry of King Arthur’s court is challenged by the Green Knight” however, in embarrassment of his fellow men King Arthur takes on the challenge himself only for Sir Gawain, his nephew, to take him on instead as he claims he has nothing to lose. To put it differently, Gawain’s integrity was challenged.
Sir Gawain takes knighthood to a deeper level and continues to see his knightly duties and responsibilities as they blatantly are verses getting hot-headed, dramatizing a situation, and uprooting his
Early on in the tale, Sir Gawain shows courage when he steps up and accepts the Green Man's challenge well knowing of the chance of Death. By doing so Sir Gawain surpassed his fear of death by stepping up to do a mission none of the other knights at the round table wished to do. His reasoning for this was to take the place of his uncle, King Arthur who was originally the chosen participant after none of the other present knights volunteered. After chopping off the head of the Green Man, Sir Gawain is told that he must go to the green chapel in one year and one day to meet the Green Man. Sir Gawain fearful of death debates whether or not he will set journey to the green chapel at that time yet his courageous characteristics force him to go.