Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Theme Essay

The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—a well-known, late 14th century Middle English romance—embodies significant themes. These themes are successfully fulfilled by the influential characters in the story. One of these characters, Sir Gawain—the protagonist of the story and one of King Arthur’s knights—proves to be the hero of the story. Although he humbly denies it, Gawain has a repute of being a distinguished knight and loyal subject. In the story, Gawain is portrayed as possessing the acme of all knightly characteristics, yet, still has several attributes to master. For example, as the story develops, Sir Gawain encounters several divergent challenges which results in notable character maturation. Therefore, while Sir Gawain and the Green Knight propose many different significant themes, the major theme remains the transition to maturity of the hero, Sir Gawain. As the story commences, the holidays are upon Camelot. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round

Gawain shares the story of his encounter with Bertilak and the many lessons he learned during his journey. Gawain also explains to the court that he plans to wear the girdle forever as a sign of his sin. King Arthur and his suite try to console Gawain, and ultimately resolve to wear similar belts of green as a sign of regard and coalition. Following his return, Gawain shows a newfound omen of maturity. Acquired through lessons, the importance of respect along with the necessity of humility, and understanding, Gawain’s maturity significantly improved. Ultimately, these lessons weave together to cause Gawain to become superior, stronger, and more gallant. Though the Green Knight functions as the antagonist in this story, the outcome of his impact on Gawain essentially shapes him into an improved version of himself. Who knows what Gawain could have become without the presence of the Green Knight’s trial in his