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Sir Gawain's Code Of Honor In The Wedding Of King Arthur

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There was once a time where knights were meant to be the epitome of chivalry; they symbolized honor, courage, justice and much more. However, not every knight matched the narrative of what a true knight should be. One way to teach people a certain value is through exemplary texts such as, “The wedding of King Arthur”. This story uses the knights and their actions to instruct the reader to be honorable by punishing the, shameful, dishonorable knights while rewarding the true and honorable one hence, guiding the reader towards a more honorable path. Sir Gawain does not show mercy to a defeated foe and is punished for it. Sir Torre follows the code of honor and is rewarded. Finally, Sir Pellinore does not help the damsel in distress and is punished with his life for it. First of all, Sir Gawain is punished for not showing mercy to a defeated foe. The young knight, along with his brother, is sent on a quest to hunt the white stag, they meet the owner of the white stag which is furious and demands revenge. After a strenuous fight, the former owner of the white stag is defeated and begs Gawain for his life. However, Sir Gawain decides to not show mercy and aims a strike at the defenseless knight, but a lady accidentally gets in the way of Gawain’s stroke, slaying her.(P.85) This is seen as a shameful act because not only did Gawain kill an innocent …show more content…

Sir Pellinore demonstrated how dishonor can be your doom and could lead to your death, exhibiting how important honor is. Given these points, it’s fair to say that “The Wedding of King Arthur” is indeed an exemplary text trying to instruct the viewer to be honorable. In the end, the choice is yours; honor doesn’t have as much importance in our society as it did in Arthur’s, yet you could still use it as an inspiration for your own code of

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