Essay Sample about Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain faces many hardships throughout his journey. From avoiding being tempted into sin and tested for his chastity, To being challenged by a magical Green Knight. Gawain relies on his faith to be saved from the Green knights game. In the poem, Sir Gawain is presented as how the ideal knight should act, through the way he followed the chivalric code. 

sir Gawain is shown using the religious code multiple times throughout the poem. As Gawain set out to seek the Green Knight's chapel. While the lord was out hunting for his share of the game, Bertilak's wife makes the second appearance in the story was when she attempts to lure Gawain into adultery to test his own loyalty to the Lord:

I’ve come alone, tame

For the study of love’s high game:

Come, while we’re still alone,

Teach me till my husband comes home. (104)

Gawain neither accepts or rejects her request but simply flatters her without openly offending her. If Sir Gawain chose to sleep with the Lord's wife, it would dishonor and humiliate the reputation of King Arthur's court. Gawain's response at the same time humbles himself while telling the Lady if he teaches her about love, she would just be learning the same thing since she knows everything about love, also at the same time avoids committing adultery. Every response he gives, he carefully thinks about the outcoming of each response to avoid affronting the Lady. As he follows the Religious code, he also follows the Code of courtly love at the same time. In the first test Lady Bertilak calls Sir Gawain the perfect man, “if I had the choice of a husband, Ah knight, I've found you out” (97).  Gawain claims that if she speaks of such perfection then she would be talking about herself. Sir Gawain makes up for what he rejected from the lady, by charming her while also servicing her. Ever since the first encounter the poet described Gawain as cautious, since he knew the Lady was pretending to be in love with him. When he meets Lady Bertilak and the older woman who is honored by other knights, he bows down and salutes the older woman. He voluntarily pledges himself to be their servant if they are ever in need, and surrenders to their aid.

Sir Gawain carries a shield with a gold pentangle painted at its center. Each of the  five points on the star each represents different moral and ethical virtues Gawain follows, as the poet describes, love and friendship, cleanness, his courtesy and pity (77). While also including the five joys of Mary and the five wounds on the cross. During Camelot's feast, Priest and Layman called out “Noël! Noël!” Noël meaning Christmas, and also meaning “to be born” these specific carols were sung in celebration of the birth of Christ (59). Gawain is shown many times to be pious, and asks for divine help from Christ. He offers his grief, and prays to Mary, asking her to give him a lodging place for he was afraid of missing mass before the morning. His dedication to make it on time to mass earlier than Christmas, shows his christian spirit and loyalty to God. 

Not only that Sir Gawain is proven in many instances to be pious to God, he follows the Code of Chivalry by voluntarily accepting the Green Knights game in order to protect King Arthur's life. The knights are expected to keep one's word, and always help the ones who are weak or defenseless. 

Geraldine Heng, in her essay explains that “Gawain’s polite but determined refusal of the Lady's ring aptly communicates his recognition of the field of suggestion the offer invokes” (506). Swallowed in guilt, he moreover keeps the green girdle given by the Lady, in order to be reminded of his shame and dishonesty. Gawain is frustrated and upset that he didn't trust in God enough, and that he believed in the magical healing of the belt that he forgot about the true heavenly power of Christ. Even though he made a slight mistake, he is shameful and is willing to better himself.