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Virtues and Temptations in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is a late fourteenth-century medieval poem
surrounding the legend of King Arthur and his knights, specifically, Sir Gawain. Around this
period, many heroic characters have the virtues that Gawain embodies: bravery, chivalry, and
loyalty. What sets this poem apart from others is the concept of a semi-perfect hero: someone
who embraces their faults as well as their assets and uses their humanity to their advantage.
Gawain is given many opportunities to betray his king, and eventually suffers damage to his
moral state. Still, Gawain continues to be loyal to King Arthur, despite the adversities that came
his way. The author of the poem uses the main character, Gawain, to exemplify the morals found
in medieval England, while also presenting the idea of weakness as a sign of strength.
Throughout literature, knights have established their role as models of virtuous attributes.
Chivalry, honesty, and loyalty are just a few of the characteristics that make up this genre of
writing. Many authors in the past have modeled their characters off of the original stereotypes of
a typical hero and the idea of a perfect protagonist. Sir Gawain is especially effective at
portraying the inherent immorality of men, while also demonstrating the inherent righteousness
present. Throughout the poem, it is clear to see Gawain embodies the idea of perfection. His
bravery is shown when he volunteers in place of his king, as well as his humble state. He says,
“Were I not your nephew, my life would mean nothing…being first to come forward, it should
fall to me” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 211). Sir Gawain thinks of himself as the
weakest of the Round Table, and therefore should be the one to accept the consequences.
Because no other knight offered themselves up, one can infer that Gawain is the most loyal to
Arthur and braver than all the others. Furthermore, Gawain keeps his promise to visit the Green
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Knight, even though he knows he will be put to death. This response again proves his superiority
to the other knights.
A literary character cannot be called a hero without facing his own challenges and
temptations. Sir Gawain is not immune to this rule-of-thumb, and his morality is tested many
times throughout the poem. The castle that Sir Gawain lodges at is full of temptations, which is
contrasted by the beautiful imagery portrayed when first introduced. The castle appears to be a
safe haven sent to Gawain by God. Later, the reader knows that the knight will be tried,
specifically on three different occasions. Each day, the lord of the house goes on a hunt and
trades gifts with Gawain. After each hunt, Gawain gives the lord a kiss, his gift from the lady of
the house. Gawain’s resistance to temptation is seen after he continuously rejects the lady’s
sexual advances and stays true to his virtue of chastity. On the final day, Gawain’s integrity is
compromised. The lady offers him a green girdle and promises safety to anyone who wears it.
Gawain’s want for survival overwrites his morals, and he accepts the gift. Then, he lies to the
lord by not mentioning the girdle at the final gift-giving. This betrayal symbolizes Gawain’s fall
from knighthood.
The code of knighthood is symbolized by a pentangle, with each point representing a
different sense: generosity, courtesy, chastity, chivalry, and piety. This symbol is also known as
“the endless knot” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 217), and “meant more to Gawain than
to most other men” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 217). The author goes into detail about
this; he says that all the virtues were tied to each other and were never meant to be unbroken. So,
it can be inferred that if one virtue is broken, all five would be compromised as well. With this,
the entirety of one’s knighthood would be at risk for fault. Because Gawain lied about the girdle,
his pentangle is damaged, and his morality is at stake. Gawain says, “My downfall and my
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undoing…I gave into greed and in doing so forgot the freedom and fidelity every knight knows
to follow. And now I am found to be flawed and false…I have totally failed” (“Sir Gawain and
the Green Knight” 252). Gawain’s acceptance of defeat shows his humanity, a virtue that is not
always seen in poems like this. Too many times have heroes been treated as infallible in
literature, and now the author shows that there is no perfect hero. Gawain fears death just as
much as anyone would and should not be treated as dishonorable.
At the end of the poem, Gawain’s dishonor has been transformed into something of
value, almost as if it is another virtue. He wears the girdle with pride as a symbol of his sin. He
says, “Regard, the symbol of sin, a sign of my fault and offense to failure… I will drape across
my chest until the day I die” (“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” 255). So, this story is
unconventional as it twists the idea of morals and what it means to be human. The inability of
Gawain to finish his quest may seem like a failure, but his newfound knowledge makes it
somewhat of a success. Now, Gawain can learn from his mistakes and will therefore be a better
knight in the future. This poem highlights the balance of morality and immorality in human
nature and how the two are interconnected.
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Works Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen, editor. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The Norton Anthology of
English Literature, 10th ed., A, W.W. Norton & Company, 2018, pp. 201–256.