ipl-logo

The Value System In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

1020 Words5 Pages

The Value system in the Fourteenth century is known through a lot of well known and historical pieces of writing by known and unknown authors or this era in time. In these works of literature, the same under lining characteristics of religious faith, trust and confidence must be present in a character in order for them to be a honorable person. However, things don’t always pan out the way they appear to be.

In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (author unknown), it is very easy at first to get caught up in the endless characteristics that make up Sir Gawain and how perfect he comes across. In the beginning of the poem, Sir Gawain is described as an honorable knight, friend and a man of God. Throughout several scenarios of being honest and true to his values, we form a perfect image of his character. Going deeper many incidences occur that give us readers an unrealistic view of Sir Gawain that he seems to be inhuman and one without the ability to make mistakes, even compared to “a precious pearl” (Gawain, 206). When the text unfolds more however, his character begins to alter, and starts to get viewed differently. …show more content…

He begins to lose his bravery and honesty by now putting it in a magic girdle, “Yet he left not his love-gift, the lady’s girdle; Gawain, for his own good, forgot not that: When the bright sword was belted and bound on his haunches, then twice with that token he twined him about” (Line 2057). All his bravery and courage is put to question now, “Whatever comes, I’m going to that chapel and I’ll meet that wild man: however it happens it will happen, for evil or good, as fate decides…God can see, God can save me” (Line , 2196). Sir Gawain says this as he is wearing his magical girdle on the way to battle. His hypocrisy is apparent as he is wearing and putting faith into magic but verbally saying his fate is with

Open Document