Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essays - 659 Words

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Nothing is known about the author who wrote the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Yet it is considered one of the greatest works from the Middle English era. It tells a tale of a mysterious and magical figure (The Green Knight) who presents a challenge to the pride and wealth of Arthurs kingdom. Sir Gawain accepts the challenge. However, the real test of the Green Knight isnt about strength or swordsmanship. Its a test of character. During Christmas at Camelot, the celebration is interrupted by the entrance of the Green Knight. He offers (or demands) a contest: an exchange of axe-strokes. Feeling as if the honor of Camelot is being threatened, King Arthur accepts the challenge. However,†¦show more content†¦One night, the lord and Sir Gawain make a pact to exchange gifts earned the next day. They agree that whatever the lord wins on the field will be exchanged for what Gawain wins in the castle. The next morning, the lord and his men go out to hunt for deer, while Sir Gawain is still asleep in bed. The day-long hunt is described vividly by the author; the deer flee in fear, dashing through the dale, dazed with dread. The hunters shoot their arrows that tore the tawny hide with their tapered heads. Hunting horns like the cracking of cliffs their cries resounded, the horns making a loud sharp noise that explode. The day goes well and ends with the setting of the sun. This ends this segment of the hunt. Our attention now turns towards Gawain, who is still asleep in bed. He awakes to find the lords wife entering his room; surprised, he quickly pretends hes asleep. She sits beside him on the bed, pins him down and points out that her lord is away and the rest of the castle is asleep. This is the first test Gawain faces, where he is tempted to break his knightly code of honor. The wife offers herself to him for sexual pleasure. Gawain is tempted by this offer but fends off her aggressive attempt by politely declining, stating that she is bound to a better man.(228) Sir Gawain is tested two more times in the Green Knights castle. However, he is unaware that any test is being performed. He passes the second test of the Green Knight, but errs on the third.Show MoreRelatedSir Gawain And The Green Knight1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn the poem â€Å"Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,† a protagonist emerges depicting an Arthurian knight named Sir Gawain. Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s nephew, takes initiative by accepting the challenge requested by the Green Knight in place of his uncle. He undergoes a perilous adventure, seeking for the Green Knight to receive the final blow. 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