Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sarah Rodriguez
Period 3
2/20/12
A Chivalrous Man Sir Gawain was a type of man who was very chivalrous in all ways a knight should. There was no other knight that could quite compare to King Arthur and Queen Guinivere’s noble nephew. He was well known all around as the kingdom’s most honorable knight. Sir Gawain was the kind of man that did whatever he knew was right with great morals. In Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain accepts a challenge in order to preserve the reputation of King Arthur’s realm. Sir Gawain, being the noblest knight in the kingdom, uses a great amount of chivalry in protecting the king and realm, having courtesy towards women, and his faith in God. Being the chivalrous knight, Sir Gawain was very protective of both his king and realm. For example, when no other knight steps up to take the Green Knight’s challenge, Sir Gawain takes it on by standing up to object, “’I implore with prayer plain that this match should now be mine’” (36). Specifically, . Moreover, when a servant of the castle gives Sir Gawain the idea of running away, he responds respectfully and grateful, ”’if I here departed fain in fear now to flee, in the fashion thou speakest, I should a knight coward be, I could not be excused’” (105). Sir Gawain is a perfect example of how a knight should preserve his kingdom. Sir Gawain also proves to be a true gentleman as he shows courtesy to all women. In fact, when Sir Gawain stands up to take the challenge he says to the king, “’ bid me abandon this bench and stand by you there, so that I without discourtesy might be excused from the table’” (36) to ask permission to leave Guinivere’s side. Also, . Along the same lines, Sir Gawain does his best not to offend the Lord’s wife when she asks for a kiss, he replies by saying, “’but as for courtesy they accord me, since my claim is not equal, the honor is your own, who are ever well-meaning’” (72). Something Sir Gawain was very good at was being chivalrous to women and was known for it. Another thing to note about Sir Gawain is his trust and faith in God. For instance, . Accordingly, . In contrast, Sir Gawain has a hiccup in faith as “the knight then took note, and thought now in his heart, ‘twould be a prize in that peril that was appointed to him” (95) and agrees to keeping the girdle a secret from the lord. Sir Gawain is human and makes mistakes just like the rest of the knights. The author uses this to show the reader that Sir Gawain is real and can have mishaps like the rest of humanity. Sir Gawain is a really good human being with a great connection with God even though he makes mistakes. Being protective of your king, courteous to women, and faithful to God are three of the most chivalrous traits a knight can have. It was notable to many that Sir Gawain indeed had all three and was very impressive. Whether he was saving his king or keeping true to his God Sir Gawain was a role model to all knights. He not only followed his heart and persevered in whatever he did but also did what was right, no matter what the outcome. The author uses a very unique tone as translating this story to bring out Sir Gawain’s chivalrous traits that made him stand out.