Knight's Challenges In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Sir Gawain—the lead character in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight—has a hard time keeping his promise while his nobility is tested after he encounters the Lord on his trek to meet the Green Knight. He is depicted as a noble knight who is strong in faith and believes in sticking to his morals. In fact, Randy P. Schiff explains this in his article, Unstable Kinship: Trojanness, Treason, and Community in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, when he says that, “Displaying his mastery of courtly deference, Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight publicly defines himself through kinship” (Schiff 1). Meaning that Gawain prides himself on the loyalty that he is able to give to those who respect him and are close to him. Since Gawain needs a place to stay

As these challenges arise they are faced with two decisions, to either keep their promises, or break their promises on impulse. In Edward Byrne’s article, From Where Do You Come?: Complexity, Theology, and Paradox in the Green Knight, he explains that Gawain is, “Facing his death at the conclusion of the poem, and rebukes an offer to run from his fate by proclaiming that the Lord will protect all who act in his service. Once alone, Gawain reaffirms his resolve, announcing, By Christ, I will not cry/...but find good fortune by/ the grace of God alone” (Byrne 1). This quote is a product of the lesson that Gawain learned when he lied to the Lord. He was able to learn from his wrong doings and make sure that he never made that mistake again. Lanval was able to prove the same thing when he left the court with the beautiful woman. He found, through his own journey, that his love for the beautiful woman is the only thing that truly matters, therefore, he should have stayed true to her and kept his word. Sir Gawain and Lanval were both able to finally realize what was truly important—keeping their promises to the people that they care