Throughout history, there are usually no pure good or bad guys, and the same can be said of fiction. Despite the trope of heroes and villains being a mainstay in stories since the beginning, there are times where characters don't have a clear moral alignment and appear much more neutral. This can also be shown in the story Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, a tale set in Arthurian legend about King Arthur’s Nephew, Gawain. The Arthurian legends are prime examples of moral ambiguity, as numerous characters have substantially more depth that goes beyond being just a hero or a villain. In Sir Gawain & the Green Knight in particular, the Green Knight himself can be seen as a morally ambiguous character whom Sir Gawain has to eventually face, in spite …show more content…
“This axe I will give to the one who will meet this challenge: that he will take it and strike me one blow with it. I shall take his blow unarmed and unguarded without hesitation or protest. Then, in one year’s time, he shall seek me wherever he may find me and take the same blow from me in like manner. Show me the knight who will take my challenge” (Strong, p. 4). Sir Gawain takes the offer, yet he strikes in the uttermost unchivalrous way imaginable. Sir Gawain believed he was being clever in that the Knight wouldn’t be able to attack if he’s dead and decapitated him, only for the Green Knight to reattach his head. He tells Gawain that he expects to see him in a year, and the knight rides off. As stated previously, the Green Knight speaks to Arthur and his men in a calm demeanor, even if he’s doubting their skills as knights, which further cements how there’s more to the character than just the lone rogue man who kills everyone. Sir Gawain likely decapitated him as a result of his arrogance, and believed the Green Knight was a fool for making such an offer without considering the possibility that he had something up his