Sir Gawain and the Green Knight †A Test of Chivalry Essay

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 self 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 least of any (Sir Gawain, l. 354-355). To continue on testing a knight that does not seem worthy certainly will not result in much of a story, or in†¦show more content†¦The Green Knight is big and of course he is green, which might explain some of the delay in acceptance of the challenge, but these knights are warriors. The color green is not a frightening enough color, even combined with the Green Knight’s size, to scare a true warrior. T he possible reason for the hesitation by the knights could lie in the description of the Green Knight’s eyes. The author points them out in line 304, and roisterously his red eyes he [rolls] all about (Sir Gawain). The critic Robert B. White Jr. says that one need not look far to discover the general symbolic significance of red when it appears in early literature; it [is] generally associated with blood, cruelty, and violence (224). The Green Knight’s eyes display just how sinister he is and provide the reason that the other knights are hesitant to accept the challenge. Gawain’s willingness to accept definitely sets him apart from the other knights. The author uses this symbol to reveal that Gawain is not only loyal, but also courageous, and worthy to have his attributes put to the test. The author goes on to reveal yet another very important attribute of the loyal knight, his moral goodness. This is done in the description of the shield that Gawain arms himself with to undertake his journey to the Green Chapel. The shield is adorned with [a] pentangle portrayed in purest gold (Sir Gawain, l. 620). This pentangle symbolizes Gawain’s faith in the five wounds ofShow MoreRelatedCantos Themes Of Chivalry In The Green Knight905 Words   |  4 Pagesshown. The main theme is chivalry. This was the system used in medieval times by knights. It shows the characteristics of a knight that should be present. These include respect, courage, justice, and honesty. These are all shown when the Green Knights shows up in Camalote he comes with a challenge to test the knights chivalry. The challenge is simple, someone can cut the Green Knights head off as long as he is able to do it to them one year from now. Gawain takes the Green Knight’s challenge and cutsRead MoreEssa y on Chivalric Romance in Sir Gawin and the Green Knight701 Words   |  3 Pagesdoes a Chivalric Romance really represent? In â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,† Sir Gawain continuously proves his knightly virtues and code of honor. Chivalry includes bravery, honor and humanity. He proves that he is in fact a â€Å"real† knight. It shows many ways that â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† are perfect and the emphasis on the importance of the chivalric code. Despite its divine origins, the chivalric code is ultimately a human ideal. Chivalry is not a trait naturally found in man, but ratherRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Analysis749 Words   |  3 PagesChivalry can be defined as many things. It could be as simple as a gentleman showing courtesy to a lovely woman by escorting her up the grand steps, or it could possibly be a knight in shining armor trying to save his people from the evil, man-eating dragon. Christianity, on the other hand, is portrayed as believing or the teaching of Jesus the Messiah. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the ideals of both Chivalry and Christianity are brought together throughout the entire story. Chivalry is portrayedRead MoreThe Code Of Chivalry And The Fundamental Thoughts And Actions Of Human Nature1499 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish 2223 Jennifer Smith 26 November 2015 Sir Gawain†¦ Chivalric? By analyzing Sir Gawain’s attempts of following the Code of Chivalry and the fundamental thoughts and actions of human nature helps to further analyze Gawain’s character. The definition of Chivalry is the â€Å"set of values and code of conduct for the medieval knightly class† (Shatz) examining Gawain’s attempts to achieve his goal of being the perfect chivalric knight, the nature of his obstacles has to be determined, andRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight967 Words   |  4 Pages4 Period J 1 Oct 2015 Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is considered not only a most brilliant example of Middle English poetry but one of the jewels in the crown English Literatures, and sits in the British Library under conditions of high security and controlled humidity. In the anonymously written story, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight shows Sir Gawain’s chivalry form his loyalty to his King, being testing by Green Knight, and his behavior duringRead MoreThe Code Of Chivalry Value Honesty, Honor, Valor, And Loyalty900 Words   |  4 PagesThe knightly code of chivalry value honesty, honor, valor, and loyalty; however, each era adapt and manipulate the code. The dark ages of King Arthur adopted the code along with the conduct aligned with the Christian religion. Knightly chivalry is means to fear God serve, pledge your loyalty to their lord, live honorable, tell the truth, respect women, never refuse a challenge, eschew unfairness, meanness, and deceit, protect the weak and defenseless, and i t goes on (Alchin). The reality of trueRead MoreThe Code Of Chivalry By Sir Gawain And The Green Knight1653 Words   |  7 PagesCode of Chivalry was a moral system which went beyond rules of combat and introduced the concept of Chivalrous conduct - qualities idealized by the Medieval knights such as bravery, courtesy, honor, and great gallantry toward women. The Codes of chivalry also incorporated the notion of courtly love. The Code of Chivalry was the honor code of the knight and was an important part of the society and lives of people who lived during the Medieval times. The world of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is governedRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Green Knight And Sir Gawain1201 Words   |  5 PagesChivalry is defined as the combination of qualities of an Ideal knight, namely courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and a readiness to help the weak. The story shows Sir Gawain throughout his journey overcoming obstacles that undermine and test his values as a knight; Lad y Bertilak being one of those obstacles. Two characters that often portrays chivalry were Lady Bertilak and Sir Gawain nonetheless both share different characteristics. Sir Gawain portrays as a brave and a â€Å"courageous knight† throughoutRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1586 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and The Green Knight Imagine sitting in a massive round table drinking and eating with all your close friends. Everyone is having fun when suddenly a mysterious Green Knight interrupts the celebration and proposes a challenge, which was accepted by Gawain. That is the story of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, an alliterative poem written in the mid to late fourteen century. Little is known about who wrote the poem, but most scholars refer to him as the â€Å"Pearl Poet.† The poem is partRead More Sir Gawain and the Green Knight color Essay1412 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding Sir Gawain and the Green Knight one must make special emphasis on it. In color and imagery itself, the unknown author paints the very fibers of this work, allowing Sir Gawain to discern the nuances of ritualistic chivalry and truth. His quest after the Green Knight is as simple as ones quest toward himself. Through acute awareness of the physical world he encounters Gawain comes to an understanding of the world beyond c hivalry, a connection to G-d, the source of truth. He learns, chivalry, like