Purpose Of Life In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

An individual’s meaning or purpose in life cannot truly be realized unless they are faced with a situation in which their course of action directly affects their future. In most cases, humankind is forced to face an extreme circumstance when something comes to an end, whether it be positive or negative, for that ending means that change is inevitable and approaching. Thus, life becomes more meaningful as something ends, for people are forced to realize what is truly important to them as well as the idea that nothing lasts forever. Individuals must choose which of the aspects and goals of their lives are the most significant and should be focused on as they approach a resolution, as can be seen in the Gawain Poet’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Therefore, due to the finality of an ending and the uncertainty of the following events, humankind can reveal what they believe are the

With the concept of one’s own death approaching, the terminus of life can result in an introspective analysis of what is most significant in the remainder of their days. In doing so, the individual creates a situation in which they realize that their morals and way of living must be maintained, as it remains the most important part of their life up until their death. The individual thus has found their purpose to be based on maintaining this code; therefore, the meaning of life lies within themselves to complete, while remaining independent from others. The Gawain Poet displays this through the protagonist of his poem, Sir Gawain, who is presented with the imminence of his own death by the Green Knight with his beheading game. Despite knowing that “the respite [will] be [in] twelve months and a day” and he will get his head chopped off, Gawain maintains his moral code for that year, as a knight and a member of the Round Table has to uphold