Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Character Analysis of Sir Gawain

"The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" is a medieval romance poem written by an anonymous author. Sir Gawain is one of the major characters in the poem. He is a very likable personality. Sir Gawain represents an ideal knight of the fourteenth century. Throughout the story, we see Sir Gawain portrayed as a very courteous and noble knight, always trying to help King Arthur. The characteristics of Sir Gawain like kindness, generosity and firmness are revealed from his actions.

Sir Gawain is a very gentle and noble knight, always willing to help people, particularly his king. King Arthur is in a bad predicament, as he has killed a deer while hunting in the woods. To save his life, King Arthur has a period of twelve months to find the answer to the question: What is it that women most desire? Of King Arthur's knights, Gawain is the only one who can help King Arthur: "Sir, me marvailithe right sore, Whate thing that thou sorrowist fore." (329). King Arthur is depressed about the entire situation, and needs a friend to understand him and help him. Sir Gawain being a noble and gentile knight is willing to help King Arthur with his problem. Sir Gawain suggests that the two of them ask everyone for the answer:

'Ye, Sir make good chere;
Let make your hors redy
To ride in straunge contrey;
And evere wheras ye mete outher man or woman, in faye,
Ask of them in whate they therto saye.'(330).

He travels to different places to find the answer to the question, in order to help King Arthur.

Sir Gawain is a noble and loyal knight. The test of his loyalty to King Arthur comes into play when King Arthur asks Gawain to marry the ugly woman named Dame Ragnell. The author descr...

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...he challenge of the Green Knight. During his in the Hautdesert castle, the Character of Sir Gawain his tested by the Green Knight. He fails his last test, and is no more perfect he is still a courageous, loyal knight, that kept his promise to King Arthur.

Works Cited

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. In The Norton Anthology of Literature. Ed. M.H.Abrams, et al. Vol I. Sixth Edition. New York: W.W.Norton & Company, 1993, pp 200-256.

Bobr, Janet. Origin. 1998. November 30, 1998.Online. Internet. Available http: csis.pace.edu/grendel/prjs2f/gawain2.htm

Finker, Leonid. Sir Gawain the Noble Knight. 1996. November 30, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: csis.pace.edu/grendel/proj2a/sirgaw.html

Sera, Joe. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight- Close Reading of Lines 130-202. 1997. November 2, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs3f/proj2.html
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