Trickery in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay Sample

In the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, many issues highlight the rich and fascinating plot this poem has. Besides the importance of the characters within the text. Throughout the poem, trickery is a central issue for the development of the plot. The tale is full of it, presented with the Green Knight, Lady Bertilak, and Morgan le Fay. 

On the Green Knight's appearance in front of the Round Table, he offers the King and his knights a peculiar challenge. The challenge comprises hitting the Green Knight with an ax, on the condition that he hit him back in response in "a whole year, plus a day" (1.298). Gawain accepts and beheads the Green Knight. However, no one at the Round Table expected the Green Knight "did not fall, did not falter at all/Gripped his handsome head and quickly picked it up" (1.430-433). No one expected he would survive a beheading, somehow falling for the deception of this challenge. Hence, Sir Gawain's fate takes an unexpected path. As he embarks on his journey to complete his end of the bargain, Gawain comes across Bertilak's mansion.

Gawain, along his journey to find the Green Knight, stays at Bertilak’s mansion. There he meets Lord Bertilak. They agree to share what they collected each day, the exchange of winnings game. Bertilak hopes that Gawain honestly does the same. Throughout the scenes, the deception Gawain was in intensifies. From the beginning, Bertilak told his wife to seduce Gawain to see if he has purity, good fellowship, and courtesy. Therefore, throughout the days, Bertilak gives Gawain what he gets in his day, and Gawain gives Bertilak the kiss he daily collects from his host wife. On the last day, Lady Bertilak insists Gawain saying: "I give my girdle, a gift of lesser worth"(3.1829). Gawain accepted the gift as she granted the gift with goodwill. Nonetheless, Gawain kept it a secret. Furthermore, in the Chapel where Gawain meets the Green Knight, the truth of this entire journey reveals, as well as his fate.

In the chapel, the Green Knight shows his true self. He is Lord Bertilak, Gawain's host. Morgan le Fay was the one who drew up the plan for the peculiar challenge. Through magic, Morgan le Fay disguised Bertilak as the Green Knight, giving him the ability to be beheaded and stay alive. She was the one who guided Gawain to Bertilak's mansion, to test his honesty by seducing him through his wife. In the end, Gawain's deception leads the plot to its climax. On his return to home, "with his neck was only nicked, a surface scratch" (4.2312), his bargain has ended. Gawain from the Green Knight's deception learns an important lesson; honor is more important than escaping death.

Because Morgan le Fay's major goal as a trickster is to challenge Gawain's integrity and mock the honor of King Arthur's court. Her failure is quite remarkable throughout the plot. Therefore, Morgan le Fay makes trickery a central issue throughout the narrative.