Gawain, noble or naïve Essay - 1064 Words

Gawain, noble or naà ¯ve? Gawain, nephew of the famed Arthur of the Round Table, is depicted as the most noble of knights in the poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Nonetheless, he is not without fault or demerit, and is certainly susceptible to conflict. Gawain, bound to chivalry, is torn between his knightly edicts, his courtly obligations, and his mortal thoughts of self-preservation. This conflict is most evident in his failure of the tests posed by the wicked Morgan le Fay. With devious tests of temptation and courage, Morgan is able to create a mockery of the courtly and knightly ideal, through Gawains failure of these tests. By satirizing the effects of Gawains inner conflicts, the unnamed Gawain poet reveals that even the best†¦show more content†¦By portraying Gawain as noble and honorable, the poet is able to shock the audience with actions that are uncharacteristic of a chivalrous knight. The first of these contrasting actions is apparent in the temptation of Gawain by his hosts lady. Th is lady, the huntress, is a pawn of Morgans, and seeks to pursue Gawain in order to fool him into actions that contrast the knightly ideal. She will do anything to accomplish these actions in him, even tempting him with bosom all but bare (1741). With another mans wife pursuing him as such, Gawain must be courtly to the lady, but at the same time must deny her advances. This unavoidable conflict creates a fear within Gawain. Upon discovering that the lovely lady was approaching him in bed, Gawain lay feigning sleep, in order to try her intent (1195, 1199). This action reveals Gawains fear that his hosts lady is pursuing him. This unavoidable fear causes his failure of courtliness, for Gawain, as courtesy calls, would have claimed a kiss from the lady, but did not (1300). The lady ridicules him for this, even though, for the following reason, the situation was unavoidable. Gawain must abide by his morals and abstain from adulterous thoughts, while at the same time being a courteous h ost. Moreover, Gawain is forced to make a choice between courtesy and adultery, either of which would result in the dishonor of either the lady or his host, respectively. By choosing to return each of the successiveShow MoreRelatedEssay Analysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight1050 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, after Gawain ventures â€Å"into a forest fastness, fearsome and wild† (Norton, 311), he prays that he will be able to find â€Å"harborage† on Christmas Eve (Norton, 312). It is the middle of winter, and Gawain has been traveling in search of the Green Knight whose head he has cut off. After he prays and signs himself three times, Gawain finds a magical castle in the midst of a winter forest. 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Examples[edit] Precursors[edit] Hayy ibn Yaqdhan, by Ibn Tufail (12th century)[18] Parzival, by Wolfram von Eschenbach (early 13th century) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (late 14th century) Lazarillo de Tormes (1554)[19] 17th century[edit] Simplicius Simplicissimus, by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen (1668) The Adventures of Telemachus, by Franà §ois Fà ©nelon (1699) 18th century[edit]