Knight Essay, Research Paper
During the Middle Ages, knights lived their lives following the chivalric code. In an
essay, define the chivalric code and prove how Gawain , in ?Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight?, is both a laudation and a condemnation of the chivalric code.
The code of chivalry is a collaboration of virtues including loyalty, honesty,
courteousness, obedience, chastity, prowress, courageosness, valor, and truthfulness.
When a Medieval man becomes a knight, he vows to follow the code of chivalry. This
code evolved from the values of the Christian religion and exemplifies perfection to the
utmost extremesA knight abiding by these rules does not fight for man, but for mankind,
an ideal, or an abstraction, including fighting for women.
Sir Gawain is known as the epitome of chivalry. He abides by the chivalric code at
all times. Gawain carries a sheild with a pentangle on the front and a picture of Mary on
the back. The pentangle itself represents Gawain?s character and his beliefs by
representing strength, chivalry, Christianity, joy, and faultlessness. The author states:
The five of the five fives followed by this knight
Were beneficence boundless and brotherly love
And pure mine and manners, that non might impeach,
And compassion most precious–these peerless five
Were forged and made fast in him, formost of men.
The chivalric hero rarely fights in defense of man, but mostly for defense of
mankind, an ideal, or an abstraction. Sir Gawain steps up to the Green Knight to defend
the chivalry of King Arthur?s court when the embarrassed king attempts to participate in
the Green Knight?s game, a game in which the king had no place to play. He obeys his
knightly code of honor, loyalty, courage, valor, and courtesy by volunteering and by using
the most courteous words to release Arthur of this knightly duty. Gawain says:
I am the weakest, I wot, and the feeblest of wit,
And it will be the less loss of my life if ye seek sooth.
His humbleness is of his heart and he knows that he is giving his life away for the sake of
his king. This obedience to the chivalric code shown is more than any of the knights at the
Round Table. The tasks Gawain must face on his journey to find the Green Knight
include long traveling nights, sleep on hard grounds, lack of sufficient food, cliffs to scale,
solitary travel, serpents, wolves, wild men, bears, bores, bulls, bitter cold, sleet and rain.
These trials prove his honor to the code of chivalry through his courage, obedience, valor,
and also his will to go forth on the journey. This will comes from Gawain?s Christian
aspect of the chivalric code. He displays purity, chastity, and charity, not only as a
Christian, but as a true knight of the chivalric code for Christianity is intertwined with the
chivalric code of loyalty, honesty, couragousnesses, etc.
The introduction of Bercilak and the very beautiful, very cunning, wife of Bercilak
begins Gawains tests of his honor to the chivalric code. He makes a promise with the host
that they will exchange gifts that they are allotted each day. In the meantime, the host?s
wife tries to provoke him to fail at upholding his code of chivalry with sexual advances. It
is very difficult for him to deny the wife without being unkind to her, but he succeeds in
not accepting her advances in a courteous manner, therefor restoring his chastity and his
honor to his host. The author describes Gawain?s success after two days of advances:
Thus she tested his temper and tried many a time,
Whatever her true intent, to entice him to sin,
But so fair was his defense that no fault appeared.
Consequently, Gawain fails to live up to the chivalric code in the latter part of the
tale. He is more vulnerable at this time than he was before, now that it is the eve of the
beheading. His hostess comes in with a gift for him, a girdle. Gawain tries so hard to be
courteous and remain true to Brecilak, but he is eventually persuaded into accepting the
gift and keeping it a secret when he is told it has magic powers which will protect him
from ?any craft on earth.? By doing so he becomes guilty of breaking the chivalric code.
He is now guilty of cowardice, for he feels he needs magic to protect him, and
covetousness, for he has come to value himself too highly. When Gawain does not tell
Bercilak of the gift that night, he breaks his code of chivalry by lying, and this lying thus
destroys his loyalty to his host. Gawain also breaks the chivalric code of faithfullness
when accepting the girdle, for the girdle represents the replacement of the pentangle for a
magical object. His next chivalric downfall occurs in the confrontation with the Green
Knight. Gawain?s bravery fails him when he flinches as the ax swings toward his neck.
When the Green Knight explains that he is Bercilak, he says:
She made a trial of a man most faultless by far of all that ever walked over the
wide earth. Yet you lacked, sir, a little in loyalty there, but the cause was not
cunning, nor courtship either, but that you loved your own life; the less, then, to
blame.
Gawain is not concerned with the thoughts of Bercilak on the code of chivalry. In his own
eyes he has failed. His first words in reply are:
Cursed be ye, cowardice and covetousness, for in ye is the destruction of virtue.
Here Gawain shows deep shame and states that he has broken the chivalric code. He sees
himself no longer as the perfect knight he has striven to become.
Sir Gawain is both a laudation and a condemnation of the chivalric code. The
chivalric code is defined by words such as honesty, courtesy, chastity, faithfulness,
courageousness, unselfishness, loyalty and faith in God, to name a few. The poet says that
all people, including knights, cannot obtain complete chivalry. Though in the end Gawain
is said to have been forgiven by admitting to his lie and repenting by wearing the girdle as
a symbol of his failure, he still has broken the chivalric code: he lied to cover up the
selfishness of his own life Since Gawain believes himself to have broken the code of
chivalry, should the reader not?
35d
Другие работы по теме:
Gawian Essay Essay Research Paper English 120November
Gawian Essay Essay, Research Paper English 120 November 19, 1996 In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight the three hunts of Bercilak were similar to the three seductions of Gawain. Bercilak and Gawain made a bargain at the castle. Bercilak said ?Whatever I earn in the woods will be yours, whatever you win will be mine in exchange.? (Gawain 81) The Green Knight tells Gawain that he was sent by Morgana Le Fay because she wanted to test Gawain?s pride and ?determine the truth of the Round Table?s fame, and the tales that tell of it.? (Gawain 123)
Comparing Chivalry In Sir Gawain And The
Green Knight And Beowulf Essay, Research Paper Back in early literature there were two great epic poems that became the fundamental format for future works. These two poems are called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf. Even though we do not know the original authors of the works, we do know that these two stories were passed from one generation to the next for hundreds of years before they were finally written down on paper.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Test
Of One Knight’s Chivalric Attributes Essay, Research Paper Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Test of One Knight’s Chivalric Attributes Loyalty, courage, honor, purity, and courtesy are all attributes of a
Sir Gawain 2 Essay Research Paper Sir
Sir Gawain 2 Essay, Research Paper Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the most intact of the Middle English Romances, and for this, it is one of the most important pieces that allows the reader to better understand the style and influences of Middle English novelists. While the story of a chivalric quest in search of a mystical being allows the reader to delve into the ideologies and ways of thinking of the medieval people, it is the author’s diction and literary devices that make this work able to be fully appreciated by the reader.
Sir Gawian And The Green Knight Essay
, Research Paper In the Epic poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the unnamed author uses Sir Gawain to illustrate the heroic ideals of chivalry, loyalty and honesty in fourteenth century England. The poem depicts the society of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In the poem, Gawain is the ideal of virtue and all that is good.
Sir Gawain And The Green Night
Vs. Beowulf Defining A True Hero Essay, Research Paper Defining a True Hero Is a hero the one who decides to stand up when everyone else is only thinking about it? Is a hero the one who retains integrity rather than give in to the world s everyday temptations? Is a hero the picture of courage, or an example of morals? These are the questions that arise after reading the epic story of Beowulf by an anonymous author, and the romantic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, also written by an anonymous author.
Analysis On Sir Gawain Essay Research Paper
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight As with so many stories written in the Middle Ages Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is filled with wonders, magic and knightly pursuit of fame and nobility. It combines folklore and romance as does, according to The Norton Anthology, no other known work. The character of the Green Knight fascinates and amuses.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Teach
Us About Dealing With Challenges Essay, Research Paper The author of the book Sir Gawain and the Green Knight teaches the reader many different things about facing challenges such as how they come unexpecteantly and how they must be faced. Throughout the ballad there are numerous refernces to the challenges that Sir Gawain and the different ways that he must deal with them.
The Symbolism And Parallels Of The Hunts
In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay, Research Paper The Symbolism and Parallels of the Hunts The Arthurian tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an intriguing story of chivalry and moral dilemmas. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains many literary devices such as foreshadowing and especially symbolism.
Green Knight Essay Research Paper TemptationThe knights
Green Knight Essay, Research Paper Temptation The knights of this poem center their lives in bravery, courtesy, and everything in general that chivalry comprises. They are virtuous men who honor the “five wounds” of Christ, and “the five wits”(640-642) through the symbol of the pentangle on their armor.
Chivalry Essay Research Paper ChivalryWe live in
Chivalry Essay, Research Paper Chivalry We live in an age where the brutality and the vigilante justice of the knight errant is no longer acceptable for people with positions of stature in society.
The Noble Knight Essay Research Paper The
The Noble Knight Essay, Research Paper The Noble Knight In the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the protagonist, Gawain, illustrates deep down nobility and honesty to himself and everyone that he comes in contact with. Gawain is a good man whose only crime is berating himself all too much, therefore making both statements about him somewhat true true.
Lord Or Lover Essay Research Paper The
Lord Or Lover? Essay, Research Paper The nobility of Sir Gawain from ” Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ” and Sir Lancelot from “Morte Darthur” diminishes once their treasonous behavior contradicts their chivalric oath to their lord due to conflicts between the ethics of courtly love and thethics of their knightly code.
The Tests Of Sir Gawain Essay Research
Paper The tale Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a lively amusing tale that captivates the reader with colorful detail of adventurous challenges that Sir Gawain must overcome to remain an honorable Knight in the eyes of King Arthur,his relations,and peers. Most of all he must be able to offer a favorable account to himself free of dishonor in his own eyes remaining true to himself.
Temptation Of Women In Sir Gaiwan Essay
, Research Paper During the 14th century, chivalry was in a decline due to drastic social and economic changes. Feudalism along with chivalry will fall for many reasons, but the
Sit Gawainand The Green Knight Essay Research
Paper Sir Gawain and the Green knight is an Arthurian story about the adventure of Sir Gawain to find the Green knight. King Arthur and his court are gathered for a Christmas celebration. Suddenly, the Green Knight appears and challenges king Arthur’s court to a game. He asks one man to hit him with the ax. In return, this man will have to seek the knight out at the Green Chapel within a year and a day to receive three hits from Green Knight.
Who S The Hero Beowulf V. Sir
Gawain Essay, Research Paper Who s The Hero? Beowulf and Sir Gawain are both very brave characters. There are many similarities between the two. More numerous than the similarities are the differences. The differences between the two characters are like night and day. According to the dictionary, a hero is a man or boy of great courage, spirit, and has undergone great danger or difficulty.
Beowulf Essay Research Paper During the medieval
Beowulf Essay, Research Paper During the medieval era, many different heroes proved to be chivalric. Three of these heroes are Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and King Arthur. All these men have won great battles, which in turn endow them with hero status among their faithful subjects. These three heroes possess chivalric qualities, but none of them are perfect.
Chivalry Essay Research Paper ChivalryChivalry order of
Chivalry Essay, Research Paper Chivalry Chivalry, order of knighthood and, especially, code of knightly behavior that was a feature of the High and later Middle ages in western Europe (Encarta). Having developed out of the lofty and pious ideals of the Crusades, chivalry encouraged high personal values and well-manicured behavior.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay
, Research Paper In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, courtly love is used to test the loyalty and faith of Sir Gawain. One definition of courtly love was a ?code of behavior that defined the relationship between aristocratic lovers in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. Influenced by contemporary chivalric ideals?? (Encarta Encyclopedia).
Sir Gawain Essay Research Paper Sir Gawain
Sir Gawain Essay, Research Paper Sir Gawain and the Green Knight By: Dirk Diggler Sir Gawain & the Green Knight One of the poems we read this semester was the anonymous poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This folklore poem combines two plots: the contest of the beheading between Gawain and the Green Knight and the attempt of a lady to seduce Gawain.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay 2
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essay Essay, Research Paper Sir Gawain Essay In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain continuously proves his knightly virtues and code of honor. Chivalry includes bravery, honor, and courtesy. He proves that he is in fact a real Knight. He shows his bravery by shying away from nothing and no one.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight 2
Essay, Research Paper The Test of Honor in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight During the course of the medieval poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain is presented with a number of choices, and must, as a result of these options, make difficult decisions. In most instances, his choices trap his natural self-interest in preserving his own life against his sense of honor.
Animalistic Characters In Medieval Times Essay Research
Paper The many temptations of life bring people to act differently through personality changes. The characters in Sir Gawain the Green Knight change their personalities through temptation. Through the Christmas time, Bertilak, king of the castle, decides to go hunting. While he is hunting, his wife is hunting or seducing Gawain.
Chivalry As Revealed Through Character Essay Research
Paper INTERPRETATIONS OF CHIVALRY THROUGH CHARACTER Having developed out of the lofty and pious ideals of the Crusades, chivalry encouraged high personal values and well-manicured behaviour. Loyalty to one’s lord, valour, honesty, humbleness, faith in god, and respect and reverence for women were foremost in the code of Knightly conduct of the Medieval ages.
What Could We Learn From Sir Gawain
Essay, Research Paper What Could We Learn From Sir Gawain? I think we could learn a lot many things from Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain is someone that I think everyone can relate to in some way. He was placed under many tests and performed admirable in all but one of them. It is that last test that made him seem human to me.
Romance And Allegory Essay Essay Research Paper
Romance and Allegory Essay Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is justifiably an allegory. An allegory is a narrative constructed by representing general concepts (Sin, Despair, and God) as persons. Many characters in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight have features that represent general concepts. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight can be interpreted allegorically by reviewing the characteristics and features of Gawain, the Green Knight, the Fair Lady, and the events that link the characters together.
Symbology In Sir Gawain And The Green
Knight Essay, Research Paper Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Symbology “Trimmed with gold, it was green silk, embroidered with stones, but only at the edges” (Anonymous SGGK, 1832). The beautiful green belt, which Gawain received from the Host’s wife, represents Gawain’s weakness. One of the “rules” of the Round Table was to show no fear, which Gawain did exceptionally well.
Gawain Questions Essay Research Paper To Be
Gawain Questions Essay, Research Paper To Be or Not To Be?. A knight To be or not to be? a Knight truly is the question presented through this story, which is a tale of Gawains trials and
Heroism Essay Research Paper Heroism Lies Within
Heroism Essay, Research Paper Heroism Lies Within One’s Self Heroes have played a part in society for a long time. They started long ago and sometimes people actually overlook that. Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Faerie Queene all show aspects of heroism. The characters approached their heroism with different tactics but each character learned from their gain.
Sir Gawain And The Green Knight -
– Chivalry Essay, Research Paper Most women dream of one day finding a ?knight in shining armor,? a man that will give her love and loyalty forever. This conception of a knight began in the 12th century and is present in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The story has a mystique that combines Christian virtues, aristocratic qualities, and the courtly love of women.
Bill
&Ted Essay, Research Paper “In the earliest Arthurian stories, Sir Gawain was the greatest of the Knights of the Round Table. He was famed for his prowess at arms and, above all, for his courtesy. … Here Gawain is the perfect knight; he is so recognized by the various characters in the story and, for all his modesty, implicitly in his view of himself.