Essay Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Stanza 74 - 1332 Words

In stanza 74, fit III, the lady of the castle offers a magical, green girdle to Sir Gawain and explains to him that the wearer of this corset amp;quot;cannot be killed by any cunning on earth.amp;quot; Sir Gawain, amidst an ethical dilemma, accepts the gift and chooses to conceal it from Lord Bertilak. This passage contains three of the main themes of the story – the inner and outer conflicts between Sir Gawain’s ethics and desire to live, and the test of religion. When Sir Gawain is offered the girdle, his knightly principles are questioned. The honorable thing would be to reject the offer or bring it to the lord of the castle, but Gawain places the preservation of his life ahead of chivalry. The knight has withstood the lady’s†¦show more content†¦It is possible that the author is being sarcastic, yet this has not been the previous style of writing. So what is the author saying by labeling Gawain amp;quot;the constant knight?amp;quot; A likely possibility is the author’s disdain with the current conditions of chivalry and knighthood. He is mocking the misconception of the knights of King Arthur’s court and offers the idea that it is more corrupt and conceited than commonly believed. Therefore, being labeled a constant knight is the author’s way of accepting Sir Gawain’s decision, as it would have been standard with the other knights, though not necessarily condoning it. The question as to whether Ga wain is right in choosing his life over his morals is mentioned when the Green Knight reveals himself as Lord Bertilak. The Green Knight feels that it was excusable for Gawain to accept the girdle, as his decision was well motivated. Sir Gawain did not fall due to lust for a woman or to the offer of amp;quot;a well-wrought thingamp;quot; such as the gold ring, but to his love of life, which Bertilak finds to be amp;quot;less blameworthy.amp;quot; Lord Bertilak perceives Sir Gawain as a noble and honorable knight, and invites him back to his castle to celebrate the New Year. Gawain is let off the hook and sent on his way. When Sir Gawain returns to Camelot, he recalls his story, humiliated and humbled. The members of King Arthur’s court, however, feel that Sir Gawain has doneShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain and the Green Knight: Stanza 741376 Words   |  6 PagesIn stanza 74, fit III, the lady of the castle offers a magical, green girdle to Sir Gawain and explains to him that the wearer of this corset quot;cannot be killed by any cunning on earth.quot; Sir Gawain, amidst an ethical dilemma, accepts the gift and chooses to conceal it from Lord Bertilak. This passage contains three of the main themes of the story Ââ€" the inner and outer conflicts between Sir Gawains ethics and desire to live, and the test of religion. When Sir Gawain is offered the girdleRead More The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1612 Words   |  7 PagesThe Role of Women in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is an example of medieval misogyny. Throughout Medieval literature, specifically Arthurian legends like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the female characters, Guinevere, the Lady, and Morgan leFay are not portrayed as individuals but social constructs of what a woman should be. Guinevere plays a passive woman, a mere token of Arthur. The Lady is also a tool, but has an added role of temptress and adulteressRead MoreThe Metrics Of English Literature4721 Words   |  19 Pagesaspirations. Set within Denmark and Geat the warrior slays monsters and goes on to become King of Geatland, however, meets an unfortunate end when slaying a dragon threatening his country. This being a similar comparison to today’s well-known medieval knight in literature: King Arthur. However being separated by hundreds of years, the style of writing has significantly changed. Arthurian stories and tales are based on chivalry with characters that may have been seen as believable in nature besides the