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Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay

625 Words3 Pages

In the chivalric romance poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the brave protagonist, Sir Gawain accepts the Green Knight’s game of beheading. When Sir Gawain arrives at the Green Chapel, the Green Knight shows mercy and allows him to live. In the excerpt, the unknown author conveys the complex interplay between emotions and chivalric expectations during the realization that Sir Gawain has been deceitful towards the Green Knight, ultimately illustrating how fear and a lack of self-confidence can cause a true knight to forget his true nature and loyalty until he learns his lesson of betrayal. At the beginning of the excerpt on page 18, the Green Knight reveals that he is Lord Bertilak and confronts Sir Gawain’s dishonesty. Sir Gawain admits that he let his fear of being killed by the Green Knight and lack of self-confidence overcome his nature as a true knight, causing him to be dishonest with Lord Bertilak on the last night of their exchange. …show more content…

However, Gawain failed the final test when Lady Bertilak offered him the green girdle, claiming it would protect him. The Green Knight forgives Sir Gawain because he made the decision out of love for his own life and cleanses him of his

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