Essay On Chivalry In The Green Knight And Arthur

675 Words2 Pages

Chivalry in the Green Knight and Arthur
The Knight’s Codes
An Honorable knight should have many characteristics. From being loyal to doing what’s right for the common good; a knight must meet these standards. These knight’s go by a code, known as the knight’s code; Chivalry. Every knight in these two stories of the Green Knight and Malory and Arthur thrives to be the best knight possible. You may make a mistake here and there, but what is important is not making that mistake twice. These knight have great courage and respect for their king to do whatever he pleases. To be the greatest knight you have to continuously keep proving yourself. In the Green Knight and Malory and Arthur, the theme of chivalry courage, honor, and strength plays a big …show more content…

The green knight puts Gawain to a challenge to cut his throat. Gawain cuts the knights head off, but the knight grabs his head and walks away. Gawain has to come back in a year to meet up with him due to the challenge. Gawain doesn’t want to be known as a man that isn’t true to his word. “True men pay what they owe; No danger then in sight. You failed at the third throw, so take my tap, sir knight.” (Lines 444-447 Green Knight). Gawain did what he did to keep his status as an honorable and respectful …show more content…

A great knight needs strength to get to the top. A knight needs to be able to protect his king. Like Sir Lucan dying for King Arthur. In The Green Knight, Gawain showed the green person that he had great strength by showing back up the next year. He knew he was walking into his death by doing this. “Then the grim man in green gathers his strength, Heaves high the heavy ax to hit him with the blow.” (Lines 353-354 Green Knight). To take such a blow from an axe to stay to his word shows great strength in a knight. Gawain is a knight that shows chivalry as a great loyal knight. The Green Knight and Malory and Arthur are two legend stories that show great chivalry. Chivalry plays a major part in these traditional type of writing’s. Courage, honor, and strength all makes up the code of chivalry. A knight must follow these codes if they want to be one of the greats like Sir Lucan and Sir Bedivere. These two knights had the courage and strength to fight for Arthur. By doing this they received the honor and respect they got from the

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Wife Of Bath's Tale 'And Le Morte D' Arthur

    694 Words  | 2 Pages

    Life during the Middle Ages was full of social change, division, and classism. This feudal society of Britain was divided into three estates. (social classes) Within the second estate was the the knight who was a soldier for the king who fought in many battles. Even though the knight is expected to have the strength and the skills to fight in battle, all knights during the Medieval period additionally had a chivalrous aspect to them. Chivalry was the honor code of a knight which included bravery, courtesy, honor, and gallantry toward women. Within the stories of the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” and “Le Morte d’Arthur”, the code of chivalry was broken by knights which show the corruption of England’s feudal society.

    Read More

  • Mortality In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    Medieval romance writings consist of a quest of an honorable and chivalrous hero who overcomes the unattainable to prove their virtue. Yet, these perceived idealized heroes often fall short of their expected abilities and values. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is an example of a knight with shortcomings. Nevertheless, Gawain appropriately confronts the imperfections of his life which leads the Green Knight to determine the imperfect knight to be virtuous. Through Sir Gawain’s weakness in strength, courage in redeeming himself, and repentance of his sinful impurities, Gawain demonstrates that a flawed person is capable of a respected and honorable life. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the poet uses the Green Knight’s judgment

    Read More

  • Examples Of Integrity In Sir Gawain The Green Knight

    461 Words  | 1 Pages

    According to the story, Gawain had to face many obstacles one in particular was the Green Knight’s challenges. This was a test for any brave man that could face off with the Green Knight. They would have to use an ax and hit the knight

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Essay

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although the idea of whether Sir Gawain and the Green Knight reinforces the idea of chivalry and encourages its readers to follow that noble path, or points out all of the negatives and flaws in the ideology, I believe that the purpose of this text is to show that although we may never be perfect or ideal, we should still strive for that. The poem shows us on many occasions the great people the knights are, even though they are not picturesque and perfect, much like ordinary life. They are portrayed in a morally upstanding and glamorous way, without ever making them seem to perfect, which is something that no ordinary reader would ever be able to accomplish. Gawain on many occasions chooses the ‘knightly’ road instead of the road that many others would have

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – A Test of Chivalry

    2442 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – A Test of Chivalry Essay with Outline: Loyalty, courage, honor, purity, and courtesy are all attributes of a knight that displays chivalry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is truly a story of the test of these attributes. In order to have a true test of these attributes, there must first be a knight worthy of being tested, meaning that the knight must possess chivalric attributes to begin with. Sir Gawain is admittedly not the best knight around. He says "I am the weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest; / and the loss of my life [will] be the least of any" (Sir Gawain, l. 354-355).

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain and Green Knight Essays: Triumph or Failure?

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sir Gawain is presented as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all, courteous. He is the perfect knight; he is so recognised by the various characters in the story and, for all his modesty, implicitly in his view of himself. To the others his greatest qualities are his knightly courtesy and his success in battle. To Gawain these are important, but he seems to set an even higher value on his courage and integrity, the two central pillars of his manhood.

    Read More

  • Arthur's Unrealism: Monty Python, Gawain and the Green Knight, and the Destruction of

    4237 Words  | 9 Pages

    One of the most enduring myths in the Western world is that of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Regardless of the origins of the tales, the fact is that by the time they had been filtered through a French sensibility and re-exported to England, they were representations of not one but several ideals. Courtly love and chivalry and the various components thereof, such as martial prowess, chastity, bravery, courtesy, and so on, were presented as the chief virtues to aspire to, and the knights as role models. Arthur's eventual fall is precisely because of having failed at some level to fulfill these ideals in his life.

    Read More

  • Beowulf: The Selfless Hero

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sir Gawain was heroic in seeking out the Green Knight to finish the challenge that was brought to King Arthur’s men. “Said Gawain, ‘Strike once more; /I shall neither flinch nor flee; /But if my head falls to the floor /There is no mending me!’” (lns. 2280-2283) There was no physical power that forced Sir Gawain to keep true to his word. Gawain sought out the Green Knight, just as he had promised, and was now about to receive the blow that would send him to his death. This quote shows that Sir Gawain was ready to be dealt his fate, and that he knew there was no way for him to survive as the Green Knight had done earlier in the poem. This shows a very human side to Sir Gawain as he appears somewhat afraid of death, but ready to face it nonetheless. It is this willingness and readiness to accept death at the hand of the Green Knight that makes Sir Gawain a...

    Read More

  • Evil In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    1541 Words  | 4 Pages

    Knights must go out into the regular world, or the dark forest, to embark on their quest. There they will be tested in their morals and virtues. The noble knights of King Arthur’s court are constantly tested by the Dark Forest and all of its temptations, creating many different conflicts within the knight’s moral codes. Facing those conflicts and coming out on top with new found knowledge is what separates great people from average

    Read More

  • Morte d Arthur

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Part I of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain is characterized as a remarkable knight. The poet portrays him as loyal, self-deprecating, and brave. First, he proves his loyalty by supporting King Arthur when the Green Knight presents his challenge. When King Arthur calls him to his side, Sir Gawain instantly approaches him and bows. His immediate obedience shows Gawain’s loyalty to King Arthur. Secondly, Sir Gawain shows his self-deprecating side when offering to accept the Green Knight’s challenge. He says that he is the weakest, both mentally and physically, of all the Knights of the Round Table, and that his life has less value than the others. For example, he explains to King Arthur, “I am weakest, well I know, and of wit feeblest...The

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Sir Gawain Exposed: An Unchivalrous Knight

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    He is not brave, selfless, chivalrous, or noble; with an immoral thought he only performs great acts in front of an audience. Knights are supposed to be fearless warriors, Gawain contradicts that stereotype. Once Gawain ventures towards the green chapel, he is overcome by fear. However, fear of death is not of the essence. When his escort offers to help him avoid the fight, Gawain had already obtained the green sash; he fights knowing he will not die. Gawain fears his kingdom will recognize his lack of pure motive and moral courage if he abandons the game, concerned that if he “forsook this place for fear, and fled,” Camelot will find out he is “a caitiff coward” who “could not be excused” for his lack of inner-chivalry (2130-2131). He does not go to the fight to prove he is chivalrous; his impure motive is to hide his immoral nature from

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Sir Gawain And The Green Knight And Lanval

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    The tales of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Lanval offer their readers insight into a common knightly quandary. Gawain and Lanval are both faced with challenges that threaten their ability to protect, uphold, and affirm their very knightliness. The two knights repeatedly see several knightly traits--- each invaluable to the essence of a knight--- brought into conflict. While the knights are glorified in their respective texts, they are faced with impossible dilemmas; in each story, both reader and knight are confronted with the reality that knightly perfection is unattainable: concessions must be made--- bits and pieces of their honor must be sacrificed.

    Read More

  • Code Of Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    The code of chivalry is a set of rules followed by the knights during the middle ages. The evolution of heroic and chivalry code has changed over time beginning from the Middle ages to now. The three stories Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lanval and Beowulf illustrate what it takes to be considered a chivalrous knight. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain shows qualities

    Read More

  • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; A Romance?

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight fit in with the concept of a romance; it has all the elements that would make one consider the text as so. The tale holds adventure, magic, a quest and an unexpected reality check that even those who are considered “perfect” are also just humans. The author used this story as a way of revealing faults in some of the aspects of knighthood through the use of intertwining chivalric duty with natural human acts; thus showing to be perfectly chivalrous would be inhuman.

    Read More

More about Essay On Chivalry In The Green Knight And Arthur

Open Document