Sir Gawain And The Green Knight - 1218 Words

Gawain’s Journey to Meeting the Standards of Courtesy and Chivalry The alliterative poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight† is a story of bravery, yet fearfulness of a young knight and his willingness to stand up out of respect for his king. This Middle Age poem, originated in the late fourteenth century by an unknown author called Gawain’s poet, follows the journey of King Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain is a knight for the royal court during the time and when the Green Knight questions the loyalty of King Arthur’s court, Gawain is the only person to stand up for the king. Doing this shows his loyalty to the king and is the beginning steps to reaching courtesy and chivalry. To determine whether or not Gawain meets the standards of courtesy and chivalry, we must first understand what these two Middle Age terms mean. When looking at the Oxford English Dictionary there are several definitions for both words. The first, courtesy, is defined as, â€Å"Courteous behavior, courtly elegance and politeness of manner s; graceful politeness or considerateness in intercourse with other.† Another definition for courtesy states, â€Å"†¦Courteous disposition; courteousness; also nobleness, generosity, benevolence, goodness.† From these two definitions we see that courtesy is polite behavior by being generous, courteous, and considerate. The second term, chivalry, is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as, â€Å"Bravery or prowess in war; warlike distinction or glory.† Chivalry is alsoShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,† a protagonist emerges depicting an Arthurian knight named Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes initiative by accepting the challenge requested by the Green Knight in place of his uncle. He undergoes a perilous adventure, seeking for the Green Knight to receive the final blow. Although Sir Gawain is not viewed as a hero for his military ac complishments, he is, however, viewed as a heroic figure by the Knights at the Round Table for hisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight862 Words   |  4 PagesIn Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by an unknown author referred to as the â€Å"Pearl Poet,† we are introduced to Sir Gawain. Gawain is a knight of the Round Table and he is also the nephew of King Arthur. As a knight, Gawain is expected to possess and abide by many chivalrous facets. Throughout the poem he portrays many of the qualities a knight should possess, such as bravery, courtesy, and honor among others. Because of his ability to possess these virtues even when tempted to stray away from themRead MoreSir Gawain and the Green Knight1100 Words   |  5 PagesThe poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight compares a super natural creature to nature. The mystery of the poem is ironic to the anonymous author. The story dates back into the fourteenth century, but no one knows who originally wrote the poem. This unknown author explains in the poem of Sir Gawain not knowing of the location of the Green Chapel and or who the Green Knight really is. This keeps the reader entertained with the suspicion of not knowing. The author then does not give his name orRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight contains ambiguity and irony that make it interesting to read and teach. Gawain’s conflict arose when he accepted the girdle that could protect him and when he lied to his host, severing fellowship with the lord for courtesy with the lady. By utilizing a social reconstructionist philosophy of teaching that emphasizes personal beliefs and ethics, a teacher will help the students establish their identities and learn to appreciate classic literature. Sir Gawain and theRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1514 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight is an epic poem written in the mid to late fourteenth century by an unknown author. Throughout the tale, Sir Gawain, a Knight at the Round Table in Camelot, is presented with many hardships, the first being a challenge on Christmas by a man in which, â€Å"Everything about him was an elegant green† (161). This â€Å"Green Knight† challenged someone in Camelot to accept his game which they will chop off his head with his axe and the Green Knight will do the same to the playerRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1335 Words   |  6 PagesSir Gawain: The Ironic Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a tale of the utmost irony in which Sir Gawain, the most loyal and courteous of all of King Arthur’s knights, fails utterly to be loyal and courteous to his king, his host, his vows, and his God. In each case, Sir Gawain not only fails to perform well, but performs particularly poorly, especially in the case of his relationship with God. Ultimately, Sir Gawain chooses magic over faith, and by doing so, shows his ironic nature as aRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight906 Words   |  4 Pagesusually the latter. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight we see Sir Bertilak go off to hunt three very specific animals as a game with Sir Gawain. They agree that â€Å"what ever [Bertilak catches] in the wood shall become [Sir Gawain’s], and what ever mishap comes [Sir Gawain’s] way will be given to [Bertilak] in exchange.† (Sir Gawain†¦, ln 1105-1007). In this deal we slowly see Gawain loose his honor as paralleled with Sir B ertilak’s hunt. The first animal that is hunted by the knight is a deer, while thisRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1521 Words   |  7 PagesFall 16 Donnelly Many years ago, knights were expected to form a certain type of relationship with their king, this relationship was otherwise known as fealty. Fealty is a knight’s sworn loyalty to their king (in other words a loyal relationship should be formed between the two). The use of this relationship is shown in the poem called â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† ( the author is unknown). This poem has a classic quest type of formula, with a knight receiving a challenge and then going outRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1455 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, for Gawain in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight temptation existed around every corner while he was playing the game of the Green Knight. Temptation existed every day and each day it existed in a new way. Gawain never knew what was coming his way throughout the grand scheme of the game, but one thing was for certain he was being tested. Without his reliance religious faith and dedication to his reputation, Gawain wo uld not have been able to make it through the game of the Green Knight alive andRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay1020 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Sir Gawain, from â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† translated by Marie Borroff, and Beowulf, from Beowulf translated by Burton Raffel, serve as heroes in different times of Medieval English Literature. Many of the basic principles that describe heroes in Medieval Literature are seen in both of these characters even though they were written in different times. There are distinct similarities, differences, and also a progression of what the hero was in English literature, between Sir Gawain and