Courage In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor” said Aristotle. Courage is an act of bravery one does that is frightening yet they still persevere. Courage is found in many different situations in the modern world like in members of our military, law enforcement, and many others ordinary people performing courageous acts to help better our society. Everyone wants to have courage since whether in music, Hollywood movies, fairytales, or books we are told courage is one of the most important attributes that can turn an ordinary person into a hero. Many philosophers and psychologists claim that fear and courage go hand in hand. Ultimately before completing a courage act one must face their fears yet persevere and act. These actions are results of heroes following their hearts and persevering in the face of adversity. Courage is incredibly important to understand when reading medieval timepieces since it helps us see the inner characteristics of a

Early on in the tale, Sir Gawain shows courage when he steps up and accepts the Green Man's challenge well knowing of the chance of Death. By doing so Sir Gawain surpassed his fear of death by stepping up to do a mission none of the other knights at the round table wished to do. His reasoning for this was to take the place of his uncle, King Arthur who was originally the chosen participant after none of the other present knights volunteered. After chopping off the head of the Green Man, Sir Gawain is told that he must go to the green chapel in one year and one day to meet the Green Man. Sir Gawain fearful of death debates whether or not he will set journey to the green chapel at that time yet his courageous characteristics force him to go. Studying the important and underlying traits of courage can help readers further understand the meanings behind many of the tales of the Medieval