British Literature - Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Essay Example

Gawain is the nephew of King Arthur and is also a Knight at the Round Table in the legend of Arthur and is also one of the select members of the round table to be referred to as one of the greatest knights and he is always perceived as the son to the sister of Arthur as well as being the most trustworthy friend of Sir Lancelot. Despite the symbolism that depicts the Round Table to represent the equal worthiness that is supposed to be accorded to all its members, there are competitions that are competitions that are constantly in progress for the best knight in the world (Lambrechts 81).

The honorable actions that are exhibited by Sir Gawain are the reason that his life is saved in the Green Knight and the fact that he regards honesty to be very vital is highlighted by the vow that he declares to wear the Garter that belongs to Lady Bercilak as a souvenir that is supposed to make him remember about the test that he had perceived to have failed as he had gone against the promise by presenting the gift back to Lady Bercilak the way it had been arranged.

He considered this to be an indication of the bitter loss that he had suffered at that particular instance and looks at himself as a coward for the things that he had desired therefore looking at the garter as the punishment that he duly deserves and promises to wear it until he dies when he says “And I must bear it on my body till I breathe my last” (Abrams 2510).

The code of chivalry necessitates that all the knights are supposed to have attributes that are characterized by courtesy, loyalty and honour and this can be seen and identified in the actions that Gawain exhibits throughout the stories that are associated with the Knights of the Round Table and these virtues are going to an extent of being more than those that the King himself holds and this makes him earn the title of the noble knight as he sets the best role model for his fellow knights and humanity.
The test that is supposed to gauge the devotion that Gawain has to the code of chivalry in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the hub of the story and these tests and tribulations are gathered as “proofs” of the moral virtues that the Knights are supposed to possess.

Gawain had the capability to pass the tests that his host had set up for him and this was the main reason that he was able to survive even though he has no idea that this is what is happening and it is only luck that enable him to pass the tests that are set before him.

Apart from the laws of chivalry, Gawain and the other knights are mandated to adhere to another set of rules that are associated with courtly love whereby the knights code of honour obligates him to do whatever a damsel will ask him to do and Gawain has no other choice but accept the sash that the lady offers and he also has to live up to the promise that he made to his host that he will offer whatever he would have gained that particular day.

For fear of death, Gawain decides that he will keep the sash thereby not living up to the promise that he had made and making sure that he the lady was pleased which demonstrates the virtue of loyalty to the rules and regulations that govern a particular field, in this case, the Knighthood, should be adhered to.

When he learned that the green knight was indeed the person that had been hosting him he find out that even though he has been able to finish the quest that he had been given, he was not able to adhere to the virtues that he was supposed to of keeping promises as he was in a dilemma when he had to act. This test goes a long way in the demonstration of the dilemmas that might exist when one has to choose between either having honour or adhering to knightly duties and since Gawain broke his promise he thinks that he has no honour left (Burrow 162). Read More