Sir Gawain Essays: The Green Knight's Journey

Mitchell Carella

3/5/2023

Brit Lit

One winter's evening, the Green Knight arrived unannounced at King Arthur's castle. He was a giant man, dressed entirely in green and carrying a holly branch in one hand and an enormous axe in the other. The Green Knight challenged anyone in the court to a beheading contest, in which he would allow his opponent to strike him with his axe, on the condition that the challenger would allow the Green Knight to return the blow in one year. The Green Knight is a complex character, and his true identity and motivations are left unclear throughout the poem. However, many readers have interpreted him as a symbol of nature, the supernatural, or even death itself. I see him as a representation of everything society

Gawain's ability to pass all the tests on his journey is proof of his bravery, loyalty, and chivalric values. His journey serves as a reminder of the importance of these virtues in the medieval times, and how society praised them. Gawain's journey is amazing because he demonstrates his chivalric virtues throughout his quest. The first chivalric thing Gawain does is remain true to his word as he seeks out the Green Knight. While on his journey he faces the challenges with courage and loyalty. When he finally gets to the Green Chapel, he even admits his faults and accepts the punishment. He shows humility and self-reflection when he realizes his own imperfections and weaknesses. Even though it is good that he realizes his flaws and is honorable for accepting the punishment, these features restrict him from seeing that it is normal to have imperfections and that being human is not a bad thing. He has always been this perfect knight that represents good to society, so when he sees his flaws, he cannot get beyond it even when the Green Knight tells him that it is ok to have

Due to Gawain's loyalty to this chivalric code, he does not sleep with his host's wife and give the host everything he received. The only thing his did not do was give the host the green girdle which represents his love for his life. The lesson Gawain learned as a result of the Green Knight's challenge is that he is basically just a physical being who cares about his own life yet recognizes his own mortality and weakness. Accepting the woman's offer teaches him that although he may be the most chivalrous knight in the land, he is nevertheless human and capable of error. The Green Knight recognizes this and only slightly cuts Gawain on the neck because it is ok to care about your own life. An argument can be made about who won and who lost but, in a sense, both Gawain and the Green Knight win. Gawain proves his worth as a knight by remaining loyal and true to his word, even in the face of temptation, while the Green Knight proves a point about the importance of honor and courage. This shows us that it is important to have integrity and morals that you live up to and if you do not there will be consequences, but also knowing you are not perfect. Having flaws is part of being human. You have to focus on your strengths and use them to improve yourself and the world around you instead of letting your flaws keep you from being the best you can