ipl-logo

Sir Gawain's Code Of Honor In The Wedding Of King Arthur

974 Words4 Pages

There was once a time where knights were meant to be the epitome of chivalry; they symbolized honor, courage, justice and much more. However, not every knight matched the narrative of what a true knight should be. One way to teach people a certain value is through exemplary texts such as, “The wedding of King Arthur”. This story uses the knights and their actions to instruct the reader to be honorable by punishing the, shameful, dishonorable knights while rewarding the true and honorable one hence, guiding the reader towards a more honorable path. Sir Gawain does not show mercy to a defeated foe and is punished for it. Sir Torre follows the code of honor and is rewarded. Finally, Sir Pellinore does not help the damsel in distress and is punished with his life for it. First of all, Sir Gawain is punished for not showing mercy to a defeated foe. The young knight, along with his brother, is sent on a quest to hunt the white stag, they meet the owner of the white stag which is furious and demands revenge. After a strenuous fight, the former owner of the white stag is defeated and begs Gawain for his life. However, Sir Gawain decides to not show mercy and aims a strike at the defenseless knight, but a lady accidentally gets in the way of Gawain’s stroke, slaying her.(P.85) This is seen as a shameful act because not only did Gawain kill an innocent …show more content…

Sir Pellinore demonstrated how dishonor can be your doom and could lead to your death, exhibiting how important honor is. Given these points, it’s fair to say that “The Wedding of King Arthur” is indeed an exemplary text trying to instruct the viewer to be honorable. In the end, the choice is yours; honor doesn’t have as much importance in our society as it did in Arthur’s, yet you could still use it as an inspiration for your own code of

Show More
Related

  • The Chivalric Code In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    Chivalry has many features that shape a knight, however the virtues that Sir Gawain presents the most are courage and honesty. One time when Gawain showed honesty and courage is when he went to fulfill his deal with the Green Knight. The guide leading Gawain to the Green Chapel told Gawain that he should run and that no one would know about his Failure to keep his promise. But Gawain said he must fulfill his deal: “But however heedfully thou hid it, if I here departed,/ faith in fear now to flee, in fashion thou speakest,/ I should a knight coward be, I Could not be excused./ Noy, I’ll fare to the chapel, whatever chance may befall” (85.13-16).

    Read More

  • Bertilak's Fatherhood In Sir Gawain

    286 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Gawain consciously makes a disloyal decision, it is clear that Gawain is not a bad knight. The author chooses to put this portion into the story because it shows that no knight, no matter how hard he tries, can uphold the values of ideal knighthood

    Read More

  • Mortality In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    900 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, an epic poem detailing ideas and themes of romance, chivalry, and human mortality, told through the story of Sir Gawain and his compelling encounter with the green knight. These themes are propelled by several motifs that can be seen from beginning to end, with one of them being the portrayal of tests and games. The motif of tests and games is a series of game-like challenges Gawain encounters. These encounters highlights important aspects and values of the medieval time period. Ideas such as chivalry, mortality, and general aspects of the Christian religion of its time can be seen as Gawain’s story unfolds.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain And The Green Knight As A Model Of Chivalric Culture

    1794 Words  | 8 Pages

    Sir Gawain and The Green Knight as a Model of Chivalric Culture The Chivalric Code was undoubtedly of the most prevalent motifs in Middle Age English literature. This code of conduct, established as the model of the behavior of knights in medieval, was based on the ideals of honor, courage, and service. Originally, the term chivalry came from the Old French word chevalerie which meant “horsemanship” (Online Etymology Dictionary). Over the years, however, it evolved to denote a general sense of “courtesy” (Britannica).

    Read More

  • Maturity In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    85 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Christian Symbolism In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    605 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whose author is unknown, is an Arthurian Romance/Epic that holds a degree of Christian symbolism. These Christian symbols are intermixed with Britannic Pagan traditions and themes in order to appeal more to the common British people at the time of the early Christianization of Britain. This can be supported by the stories of kings being created in the earlier centuries throughout history. In this particular story, this symbolism is important since all the knights of King Arthur’s Court were supposed to follow a certain chivalrous code of conduct, whether present in the courts or away on some other venture. The chivalric code being the embodiment of Christian virtue and valor, which was expected to be personified

    Read More

  • Honor In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    775 Words  | 4 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Violence In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1114 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout this paper we will examine three ways in which the characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight attempt to cover up the underlying theme of violence within the narrative. During Fitt 1 of the poem, we uncover the first method in which the characters attempt to mask the fantasy of violence. In order to ensure their thirst for bloodshed does not spiral out of control, there are certain rules that the court must adhere to. The Court of Camelot places violence in a strict binary with courtesy.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain And Christianity Analysis

    645 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being merciful is showing God’s dealings with mankind and is a quality of God. Bertilak refers Gawain to being a knight worthy and has no equal. Bertilak exclaims that he was sent on this task to find Gawain and see what he is about. The revelation after the Bertilak spares Gawain’s life and knowing about the girdle all along leads Gawain to truly embrace his flaws and humility for the first time and in so doing to find atonement and a more stable base for Christian behavior than the rule-based chivalry of Arthur’s court. “Sir Gawain And The Green Knight” shows Christian ideas and shows behavior towards everyone.

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain And The Green Knightly Virtue Analysis

    998 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ideals of Christian morality and knightly qualities are represented by Gawain’s gold, star-shaped pentangle. The five knightly virtues that Sir Gawain expresses are: generosity, chastity, friendship, piety, and courtesy. From the beginning of the poem, Sir Gawain portrays his generosity by agreeing to cut the Green Knight’s head with an axe. He makes this decision after King Arthur fails to do so (Cathell, 2014).

    Read More

  • Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1052 Words  | 5 Pages

    During the Medieval times chivalry was one of the most important characteristics a knight could display. Chivalry was viewed as a moral obligation that involved bravery, honor, respect, and gallantry. Knights were expected to uphold this code or face social consequences for any infractions, with punishments ranging from humiliation to termination of their knighthood. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” presents the struggles knights faced with honoring the chivalrous code at all times. Sir Gawain, while imperfect, exhibits qualities expected of knights and embodies the internal struggle between honoring the chivalrous code and giving into selfish desires.

    Read More

  • What Is Sir Lancelot's Code Of Chivalry

    416 Words  | 2 Pages

    In medieval times, chivalry was something that many men lived up to. If a man lived up to the expectations of chivalry he was said to be loyal, brave and courageous. For some it was difficult to follow certain codes especially when it came to romance, an example: Sir Lancelot in the movie “First Knight.” Medieval romance was taken seriously during its time. Not only did men/knights have to follow rules and codes about war, but also about romance.

    Read More

  • Redemption In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    688 Words  | 3 Pages

    All in all, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight gave many fine examples of classic literature and the beauty of it. However, Gawain tried to redeem himself, but failed miserably. Redemption is achieved by falling and getting back up. Gawain tripped over his own feet, then blamed the girl who didn’t do anything. Gawain cannot teach anyone anything about redemption.

    Read More

  • Loyalty In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    718 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Chastity In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    573 Words  | 3 Pages

    The lines 1550-1553 from the Pearl poets epic Sir Gawain and the Green Knight epitomizes two of the most important virtues of a noble knight, and Sir Gawain, the man the story follows, defines what is a true knight. He holds a place next to King Arthur and the queen as well as exemplifying two of a knights most important virtues. The first being chastity and the second being courteousness, both however, are very much entwined in this tale. Throughout this epic and many other Arthurian legends praised these traits in the knight and as we shall see, Sir Gawain although still very much human, is a master of both. The virtue of chastity is extremely important in Arthurian legend and we can see this from examining Gawain’s shield.

    Read More

More about Sir Gawain's Code Of Honor In The Wedding Of King Arthur

Open Document