Relating to the villains, heroes also have motives for action, these motives being a more admired approach to their lifestyle. Heroes are often time inspired by the idea of honor and bravery. They wish to uphold an unwritten code of chivalry. More evident in King Arthur’s court, the idea of chivalry is most important aspect of a knight's life. In addressing his advisors Arthur states, “My Lords I care nothing for my life now! And while Sir Modred is at large I must kill him; there may not be another chance.”(Allen et al. 258) Arthur is willing to make the greatest sacrifice for his kingdom. He is willing to disregard the danger of battle. He aims to stop his son with death. He knows this is his only real chance to perform the deed. Likewise to his uncle, Gawain holds this same sort of respect. Gawain, knowing full well that he is the least among the knights, accepts the challenge set forth by the Green Knight. Saying, “Only as you are my uncle have I any honor, for accepting your blood, I bear in my body slight virtue.”(Allen et al. 235) This puts …show more content…
David is taught by his advisor, Mr. Campbell, that honor must be given to command. “As for the laird, remember he is the laird; I say no more: honour to whom honour.”(Kidnapped. 13) This is to teach David to be humble. He must not assume a mindset of being near status of his uncle. We see however in his kidnapping that this loyalty is not in his best interest. When David is considering leaving his secretive uncle from the beginning, he remembers the words of Mr. Campbell and chooses to remain at the estate. “I will stay awhile. It is more just I should be helped by my own blood rather than strangers.”(Kidnapped. 29) If David had chosen to leave he would never have been kidnapped, but also would never have discovered the truth about his Father. With loyalty being a great virtue, it is evident the effects can be both satisfying and
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a fourteenth-century tale written by an anonymous poet, chronicles how Sir Gawain of King Arthur’s Round Table finds his virtue compromised. A noble and truthful knight, Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s challenge at Arthur’s New Years feast. On his way to the Green Chapel, Gawain takes shelter from the cold winter at Lord Bercilak’s castle. The lord makes an agreement with Gawain to exchange what they have at the end of the day. During the three days that the lord is out hunting, his wife attempts to seduce Gawain.
An anonymous contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the 14th century. It was written in a Northern dialect and uses alliteration similar to the Anglo-Saxon form of poetry. Alliteration is characterized by the repetition of consonants and a sharp rhyme at the end of each section.
For example, after the lord treats Gawain with hospitality, Gawain mentions, “Your requests are now this knight’s commands. I am bound by your bidding.” Although this unknown king could ask for anything outrageous, Gawain gives his solemn oath. Gawain is paying respect to this lord who made Gawain welcome. In addition, when the Green Knight comes to King Arthur’s palace, Sir Gawain is the only knight who accepts it and tells King Arthur“ Such a foolish affair is unfitting for a king, so; being first to come forward, it should fall to me.” Arthur is being courteous to his king, and taking on a very suspicious job against a humongous Green Knight who other “brave” knights were afraid of. Furthermore, Sir Gawain is polite towards the king’s wife. After much insistence for Gawain to commit an act of adultery, Gawain merely says “ I shall kiss at your command, as becomes a knight.” Even though this beautiful lady was seducing Gawain, he had to be polite to the lord and not commit adultery with his wife. On top of that, Gawain had to reject the lady’s advances in a chivalrous manner. Gawain handled this quite nicely with courtly love. Likewise, he is also being noble with this act. The lord’s wife keeps on pressing him day after day to advance with her, but he stays strong and mentions “ I shall not succumb.” This is so difficult because Sir Gawain could enjoy on his possibly last day to live, but instead chooses to stay pure and
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the greatest fourteenth century text. It was written by an unknown author between 1375 and 1400. The story begins at Christmas time, and there are many symbolic elements. The Green Knight is a color which symbolizes Christmas. Also, changing seasons and the coming of winter symbolize the passing of life and reminds us that Death is unavoidable. The author also skillfully illustrates human weaknesses in the descriptions of Gawain's temptations.
Sir Gawain and the Green knight is an Arthurian story about the adventure of Sir Gawain to find the Green knight. King Arthur and his court are gathered for a Christmas celebration. Suddenly, the Green Knight appears and challenges king Arthur's court to a game. He asks one man to hit him with the ax. In return, this man will have to seek the knight out at the Green Chapel within a year and a day to receive three hits from Green Knight. The only one who is not afraid to fight is Sir Gawain. He hits the Green Knight with the ax, cutting off his head, which rolls around the floor. The Green Knight picks up his head and tells Sir Gawain to try to find him. Everybody believes that Gawain's journey is without return because he has to face harsh conditions, like wild animals, freezing weather and wild men of the woods. He leaves King's Arthur court, and after Gawain wanders in the forest, a castle mysteriously appears on his way. My passage analysis comes right after the first kiss between the wife of the lord and the Gawain. As days passes the wife of the lord becomes even more aggressive to Gawain.
The story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, was told in the14th century by an anonymous poet about a young knight on his first adventure. In my analysis of Part 4, lines 2358 through 2350, I will discuss the significance of the number three, the tap, the asking of the Green Knight his name, and the green belt. I will develop the theory that the author uses this story and these significant symbols to bring out his Christian beliefs about the flesh and its weakness.
Initially, Gawain’s strongest trait is humility, Beowulf’s is pride. In the beginning of Gawain and the Green Knight, a mysterious warrior enters King Arthur’s court to extend a challenge. Although he knows others in the court would handle the challenge better than him, out of respect, when King Arthur attempts to accept the challenge Gawain comes forth and suggests he takes his place. Gawain presents himself as “the weakest of them, I know, and the dullest-minded/ so my death would be least loss, if truth should be told/ only because you are my uncle am I to be praised/ no virtue I know in myself but your blood” (Broadview Analogy 269). Instead of bragging about his bravery, Gawain acts modestly and states that his death would be of little loss during this challenge. He is not self-absorbed and gives off the impression that the only reason he is a knight is because of his relation with King Arthur. By stating this, he gives off the impression that his self confidence is quite weak; this is astonishing for a character of this era. Although King Arthur has at least one of his knights to be proud of, it seems as though
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur gets ready to commit in the battle of the Green Knight until Sir Gawain stepped up and insisted that he be the one to fight. Sir Gawain said to King Arthur, “I beseech you, Sire, / Let this game be mine” (Gawain Poet 124-25). By Sir Gawain requesting to King Arthur that he must step before the Green Knight instead of the King, Gawain showed many acts of bravery and loyalty to his people, which gave him the characteristics of showing honor and being an Anglo-Saxon Hero. Sir Gawain stepped up to this incredible mission because he knew he was the weakest of the knights, and believed that no one would miss him, but instead when Gawain went up for battle the Green Knight refused to strike. The Green Knight has said, “It was I who sent her to test you. I’m convinced / You’re the finest man that ever walked this earth” (Gawain Poet 354-55). The Green Knight had his wife give Gawain the green sash in order to test him, the Green Knight knew Gawain had the courage to compete against him but he just wanted the knights to realize it. Sir Gawain shows honor in this literary work, because even when he wanted to doubt himself and give up he never did, he kept fighting and eventually made it to the Green Castle even though he knew he might not make it out alive. He insisted to follow
Furthermore, a ideal knight has a quality of courage. When Gawain went to the green chapel
The poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, tells of one knights struggle to uphold the code of chivalry. What makes a knight a noble knight? Why does this social standard force us to hold this individual to higher expectations? What should we think about Sir Gawain when he breaks his vows in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight? How does Sir Gawain and Arthur’s court pass the test of The Green Knight? This paper will argue that Sir Gawain, despite his mistakes, is the greatest knight because of his repentance and the lesson he learns when he encounters The Green Knight.
In conclusion, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is a story about how it can be a struggle to make the right decisions. Following the code of chivalry rescued Gawin because the Green Knight appreciated his loyalty. Like Gawin, chivalry was valued by the majority of knights and still to this day, men and women acquire tremendous traits that display the values of the code. The life of Chivalry will continue to live on by individuals who are courageous enough to put other before themselves. Gawin made remarkable decisions that a large amount of people, especially today would find difficult to
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Gawain Finds The Green Knight's Castle! PASSAGE ANALYSIS LINES 763-841 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an Arthurian story about the first adventure of Sir Gawain (King Arthur's nephew). The author and date of this romance are not exactly known but may be dated circa 1375-1400, because the author seems to be a contemporary of Geoffrey Chaucer. From the very start of the story, the author gives a grand introduction for Arthur and his court, and then Arthur's men are described as "bold boys" (line 21) which means that they are brave, but only boys. If they are so brave, why then did the author not describe them as men?
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities of a chivalrous knight. He demonstrates that by showing generosity, courtesy, and loyalty during his travels. A mysterious knight shows up at the king’s castle and calls himself the Green Knight. The Green Knight then challenges one to play a game which he challenges the king to strike him with his axe if he will take a return hit in a year and a day. Sir Gawain steps forward to accept the challenge for his uncle King Arthur when nobody else in the castle would. He took the King’s role in the game to protect him from the Green Knight. He must learn to accept his responsibility as a knight, in accepting his fate.He demonstrates goodness at the hand of the Green Knight. He shows courage by accepting what is to come upon him during his voyage. His journey to find the Green Knight is filled with temptations.In the conversation with him and the “Lady”, Sir Gawain showed a Chivalrous code by keeping his loyalty to the king by not kissing his wife. The lady states “if I should exchange at my cho...
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a poem which tells the tale of a knight who undergoes trials-testing the attributes of knighthood-in order to prove the strength and courage of himself, while representing the Knights of the Round Table. One of King Arthurs most noblest and bravest of knights, Sir Gawain, is taken on an adventure when he steps up to behead a mysterious green visitor on Christmas Day-with the green mans’ permission of course. Many would state that this tale of valor would be within the romance genre. To the modern person this would be a strange category to place the poem in due to the question of ‘where is the actual romance, where is the love and woe?’ However, unlike most romances nowadays, within medieval literature there are many defining features and characteristics of a romance-them rarely ever really involving love itself. Within medieval literature the elements of a romance are usually enshrouded in magic, the fantastic and an adventure. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight follows Sir Gawain over the course of one year, from one New Years to the next, as was the deal he and Bertilak, the green knight, struck.
In the medieval time period literature was considered a form of entertainment. The most popular type of literature as entertainment was poetry. Poetry is a way in which language is used. Language has two uses, which are to please and to teach. A poet uses language to shape it to make a form of fiction. In the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" the unknown author uses language to create a fabulous piece of work. The story is well told but more importantly well crafted. One may look at the poem, as entertainment but the most important aspects of the poem are in its artistic designs. The three artistic designs are prosodic, narrative, and thematic. The artistic designs of the poem give it a structure and a sense of cohesiveness.