At the end of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, we encounter opinions of how bad Gawain's sin really was from three sources: Bertilak, King Arthur, and Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain's view of his own sin seems harsh. When he realizes that the Green Knight and the host are the same man, Gawain curses himself, saying, "Accursed be a cowardly and covetous heart! / In you is villainy and vice, and virtue laid low!" (2375). He proceeds to deprecate himself as a coward who has fallen short of his chivalric code. He calls himself a "faulty and false" knight (2382), and asks if he can regain the host's "good grace" (2387).Though he initially chastises himself, Gawain goes on in lines 2411-2428 to recall several Bible stories about men who sin because of women. The host's wife exposed Gawain's flaws, he claims, just as Eve exposed Adam's, Delilah exposed Samson's, and Bathsheba exposed David's. Though Gawain couches his discussion of the "wiles of a woman" in terms of a woman's ability to make "a dullard dote" (2414), he comes close to blaming the lady for his own downfall. Gawain decides to keep the girdle not only as a reminder of his fault, but as a sign for others, metaphorically equating himself with Cain (the son of Adam and Eve and the first murderer) who bore a mark so that everyone could recognize him as a sinner. Gawain's sin seems much less profound than Cain's, yet his decision to wear the girdle as a "sign of excess" (2433) that recalls "he faults and the frailty of the flesh perverse" (2435) aligns him with one of the greatest sinners in the Bible.Arthur's reaction to Gawain's account of his sin differs radically from Gawain's own. The Gawain-poet refers to Gawain's telling the knights and ladies of Camelot about his encounter at the Green Chapel as a confession of his "cares and discomfitures" (2494). When Gawain unveils the scar and shows them the girdle, blushing for shame, Arthur and his followers laugh out loud.
In stanza 74, fit III of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the lady of the castle offers Sir Gawain a magical green girdle. ... Later Sir Gawain finds three faults in his actions. ... The observer's opinion of whether Sir Gawain is forgiven is the complete opposite of Sir Gawain's. ... Sir Gawain had just given up on God (Howard, p. 203). ... When Sir Gawain returns to Camelot, he recalls his story. ...
Two actions in this story show Sir Gawain's chivalry and humanize him. ... The lord welcomed the knight with open arms and said that whatever he hunted, he would give to Sir Gawain at the end of the day, and whatever Sir Gawain got, he had to give to the lord. ... The first day, she gave him a kiss, so Sir Gawain had to kiss the lord. ... The final day, the wife gave Sir Gawain a sash and three kisses. ... When Sir Gawain got to the Green Castle, the Green Knight went to strike him over the head and Sir Gawain flinched twice. ...
The way in which Sir Gawain demonstrates bravery is when the green knight says to Gawain (pg.81, line-2274) Did I flinch, or flee from you when your blow felled me? ... The second knightly virtue that Sir Gawain demonstrates in the story "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" is courage. The way in which Sir Gawain demonstrates courage is when the lord leaves him and is telling Gawain that the knight of the Green Chapel is fierce and deadly, and that he kills every man he meets. ... As the lord is leaving Gawain, (pg.71, line- 2156) Gawain says I'll neither groan nor weep. ... The way in which...
Sir Gawain: Hero or Zero In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is depicted as the noblest knight in all of King Arthur's court. ... Time after time, the Lady comes onto Gawain very strongly and Gawain must rebuff her efforts. ... Sir Gawain must be a really strong person to pass up that kind of opportunity. ... Sir Gawain: Hero or Zero In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is depicted as the noblest knight in all of King Arthur's court. ... Sir Gawain must be a really strong person to pass up that kind...
In the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the lady of the castle tempts Sir Gawain with a magical, green girdle and explains to him that the wearer of this corset "could not be killed by any craft on earth.(1854)" Sir Gawain, amidst an ethical dilemma, accepts the gift and chooses to conceal it from Lord Bercilak. ... When Sir Gawain is offered the girdle, his knightly principles are questioned. ... The observers" opinions of whether Sir Gawain is forgiven are the complete opposite of Sir Gawain's. ... When Sir Gawain returns to Camelot, he recalls his story, humiliated and humb...
The trial Sir Gawain encounters is loneliness and fear. ... In part three Sir Gawain meets the goddess. ... Sir Gawain finds her to be beautiful to his sight. In part three Sir Gawain comes upon the woman as a temptress. ... Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. ...
I recently read the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. ... She tries to tempt Sir Gawain. ... This green sash is Sir Gawain's ultimate boon. ... The King invites Sir Gawain to stay with him. Sir Gawain is tempted to stay and not return to Camelot. ...
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Pearl Poet emphasizes certain aspects of a knight's appearance and mannerisms. ... Sir Gawain either already has all of these qualities, or he learns from his mistakes to learn them in the end of the poem. ... Additionally, when the Green Knight appears in front of Sir Gawain, both of them are equals. Therefore when the Green Knight offers the challenge and Sir Gawain accepts, he accepts a challenge from an equal, which upholds the code. ... Sir Gawain, in both of these occasions, has risen to the challenge and has proven that he is a worthy knight...
The legends of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Morte d" Arthur have similarities to the ideas of a medieval romance such as shows of courage and depictions of honor. Courage is a steady theme for both the legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the legend of Morte d" Arthur. For instance, Sir Gawain embodies courage when he takes King Arthur's place in the Green Knights challenge. ... In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain shows an incredible amount of honor when he respects his challenge. ... Honor and courage are very prevalent characteristics in medieval romances ...
