To Be or Not To Be…. A knight To be or not to be… a Knight truly is the
question presented through this story, which is a tale of Gawains trials and
tribulations on his journey to the Green Chapel. First, before acknowledging
Gawain as being or not being a knight, one must first know what a knight is. In
reference to the Pentangle a knight or Gawain must be: "… first, he was
faultless in his five senses, Nor found ever to fail in his five fingers, And
all his fealty was fixed upon the five wounds That Christ got on the cross, as
the creed tells; … That all his force was founded on the five joys That the
high Queen of heaven had in her child. … The fifth of the five fives followed
by the knight Were beneficence boundless and brotherly love And pure mind and
manners, that none might impeach, And compassion most precious-these peerless
five Were forged and made fast in him, foremost of men." (Ll. 640-655) This
excerpt from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight demonstrates on what a knight
should be when looked upon from the Pentangle mode of being a knight. What
pertain to the Natural/Real Realm would be the five senses and five fingers. The
five senses part is used to gain knowledge of the world and worldly wage. The
five fingers are the deeds that are done. What pertain to the Religious,
Spiritual, Christian Realm would be the faith in the five wounds of Christ would
be Fealty and Force. Fealty is the faithfulness in the five wounds of Christ.
Force or the force in battle is inspired by the five joys of Mary. What pertain
to the Chivalric Realm are Beneficence, Brotherly Love & Truth, Pure Mind,
Manners, and Pite. Beneficence pertains to the generosity that the knight
bestows. Brotherly Love & Truth pertains to the fellowship and truth in
which the knight bestows. Pure Mind pertains to the chastity that the knight
shows through his encounters with women and their temptations. Manners pertains
to the courtesy that the knight shows to the people that he comes upon. Pite, or
piety, pertains to the compassion that the knight shows when he encounters
different situations. (GP) The narrator defines Gawain as being: "… in
good works, as gold unalloyed, devoid of all villainy, with virtues adorned in
sight." (Ll. 633-635) This basically states that he was a model of a good
guy. He kept himself out of trouble, we know this by reason of the narrator
stating that Gawain was the "Devoid of all villainy." This statement
says that Gawain is lacking in any sort of evil. It seems to be that the Green
Knight symbolically represents a villainous being that crashes in on a party to
play a medieval "Russian Roulette." In doing so causes an upheaval
among the Knights of the Round Table. The Green Knight storms in and asks
someone to chop his head off. At this part of the story it seems quite
questionable as to his reasons for doing so. Gawain responds to the beheading
game challenge in a humble, yet heroic sense. After the Green Knight barges into
King Arthur's court and criticizes the Knights of the Round Table saying,
"Where is now your arrogance and your awesome deeds… for all cower and
quake…"(l. 87, 91) The Green Knight is now saying that the Knights of the
Round Table are cowards. He is calling them out. The only one to accept the
challenge is Arthur strictly to show that he is not a coward. Just as Arthur is
about to decapitate the Green Knight Gawain speaks up and says, "I beseech,
before all here, that this melee may be mine." (l. 115-116) Here Gawain is
speaking up and telling Arthur that if anyone will do this that it will be him.
Gawain shows a great deal of courage in accepting this challenge for the reason
that no one else, aside from Arthur, would except the challenge. Gawain finds
hospitality and shelter at the castle of Bercilak, unbeknownst to Gawain, the
Green Knight. Bercilak made an agreement that "whatever I win in the woods
I will give you at eve, and all you have earned you must offer me." (Ll.
1105-1107) This agreement that was made means that whatever Gawain gets in the
castle he must give back to Bercilak. This agreement is complicated for the
reason that Bercilak's wife is trying to seduce Gawain. With so some many
Christian elements present, it could be argued that symbolically that Bercilak's
castle is the Garden of Eden with Gawain being Adam. Here, Gawain enters a place
that is extremely beautiful such as the Garden of Eden would be. God provided
the garden for Adam and Bercilak is the one who provides the castle for Gawain,
so Bercilak could symbolically be God. Therefore Bercilak's wife would
perceivably be Eve, since she provides the temptation for Gawain. The temptation
would then be "eating the apple," or in Gawains case, submitting to
Bercilaks' wife's demands. Gawains chastity is being put on test through
Bercilak's wife's constant temptations. Gawain allows the wife to kiss him on
two occasions on two separate days. After the occurrence of these kisses Gawain
goes back to the host and gives him a kiss as well. The only gift that Gawain
did not give to the host was that of the girdle, which in medieval times was a
sign of good fortune. Gawain does not keep his word through the keeping of the
girdle. The narrator said that Gawains' "scheme were noble," (Ll.
1858) but he still had broken his promise. Gawain leaves the castle in search
for the Green Chapel on New Year's Day. It seems to be that Gawain is riding to
the Green Chapel, when in fact we, the reader, believe that he is riding to his
death. By going to the Green Chapel Gawain is trying to make himself look as
noble and heroic as possible. By going with the girdle he is making himself look
cowardice and afraid of death, when: "A knight does not rightly have to
fear a bodily wound, since he should receive the world's praises for it. But he
should fear the wounds of the spirit, which blind, incurable lust inflicts with
fiery darts. Bodily wounds are to be healed, but not Galen will make a man well
who is sick with love." (LL) Gawain even acknowledges his error when he
says, "Accursed be a cowardly and covetous heart! In you is villainy and
vice, and virtue laid low!" (l. 465-466) In this episode the Green Knight
is made out to be, somewhat, of a father figure to Gawain. The Green Knight
corrects Gawains errors and points him in the right direction. The Green Knight
shows Gawain Brotherly Love by not beheading him and informs Gawain of what to
do. The Green Knight may also be seen as a priest absolving Gawain from his sins
when he states, "Such harm as I have had, I hold it quite healed. You are
so fully confessed, your failings made known, and bear the plain penance of the
point of my blade, I hold you polished as a pearl, as pure and as bright as you
lived free of fault since first you were born." The game is finally played
out with the Green Knight forgiving Gawain as shown in the quotation above.
Gawain is being tested in a many different amount of ways; such as Bercilaks'
testing of Gawains truth and manners as well as his chastity through the
temptations with Bercilaks' wife as well as through the agreement that they
make. As well as the Pentangle test, i.e. Gawain living up to knightly
standards. In most ways Gawain passes the test, such as: Gawain giving back the
kisses, as well as him actually looking for the Green Chapel. He fails through
one thing, which is not giving the girdle to Bercilak. By keeping the girdle
Gawain makes himself seem frightened of death which goes against the concept of
knighthood. A knight should never be afraid of death, which Gawain realizes
after the Green Knight brings up the fact about the girdle. Gawain realizes his
mistake and repents, in doing so Gawain passes the test and the Green Knight
lets him go without chopping his head off. Even though Gawain is not perfect he
is still held with the highest of standards in Arthur's mind as well the minds
of the other Knights of the Round Table. I believe that Gawain could be
described as a Stoic for the reason that Gawain, as well as Stoics emphasized
ethics as the main field of knowledge. Gawain exhibited Stoicism in numerous
places; one of the major exhibitions was through the symbolism of the Pentangle.
Stoicism was put into play through Gawains inconsistent chivalry with Bercilak
as well as his wife in most cases. Gawain did not allow Bercilak's wife to
completely seduce him, but Gawain did allow her to kiss him. He upheld most of
the deal with Bercilak, except with the girdle. This is what is meant by Gawains
inconsistent chivalry. In conclusion, through the Green Knight's tests, we see
that Gawain is not the perfect knight he strives to be. Neither the reader, nor
the Green Knight, nor his fellow knights of the Round Table hold him to this
standard of perfection. Through reading about the turmoil Gawain experiences
thinking about his impending death at the hands of the Green Knight, leads the
reader to understand why he accepts the girdle. It is easy to see why he remains
true until his fear of death overcomes him. All this proves he is only human.
Yet Gawain only sees that he has been inconsistent in upholding the chivalric
code, and this means failure to him. This is an indication of the standard
Gawain has set for himself, thereby showing why he had the reputation he had.
Despite all that happened, Gawain is still a loyal, noble, honest and courteous
knight.