“Thomas Van Nortwick argues that in cultures where notions of the
afterlife were not prevalent ‘the only chance for survival came in the form
of fame, which supplied a kind of hedge against the oblivion of death. Thus
the proximity of death increased the urgency to become known, to do and
say whatever was considered valuable in the eyes of one’s fellows’.
(Imagining Men: Ideals of Masculinity in Ancient Greek Culture, 13).
Construct an argument about fame and/or the concern for posthumous
reputation in relation to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”
Throughout Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain himself displays an
attitude and focus not centred on chivalry but, more importantly, a need or want to
appear chivalric. The application of such high importance to a specific perception of
oneself was not uncommon in the 14th Century1; an age fascinated by the Arthurian era
and its inhabitant’s attitudes, and can be in part attributed to a concern for posthumous
reputation. This apprehension could also be justified by an interpretation of Gawain’s
personal beliefs; specifically that his faith is not strong enough to allow living simply in
the manner of a good Christian, rather he feels he must behave in a particular manner in
order to live on through his reputation. Therefore, Gawain behaves throughout the
epic’s plot, and beyond its conclusion, with the intention of building upon his already
significant reputation so as to construct an image to live on in memory and folklore;
preserving his name if not his nature.
Gawain’s concern for his reputation, both posthumously and antemortem, is evident
in the extent to which his status has developed before the events of the poem, as well as
during. He is termed as both “Noble Sir Gawain” (109), early on in the piece, and
referred to as “‘Sir Gawain / that the whole world worships’” (1226-7) by Lady
Bertilak; indicating a desire to be perceived positively which goes beyond the year
which the text covers. Furthermore, the difference in these two descriptions indicates
not only the level of hyperbole used by Lady Bertilak in her attempts to seduce Gawain,
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The time of the epic’s composition rather than setting.
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but also how his reputation has grown in such a short period. Even before the Green
Knight’s entry Gawain is “trustworthy” (111), while he is also described as “good Sir
Gawain” (2118); however the reasons for such labelling are never justified by examples
of feats deserving of such titles, rather Gawain seems to carry a reputation of nobility
without specification of what made him such. J.J. Anderson labels Gawain a man “who
is more words than actions” (p345), a point evidenced by this ability to build a strong
reputation of chivalry and nobility despite both a lack of achieving feats commonly
associated with such characteristics, and actions which may seem to the contrary. He,
for example, kisses Lady Bertilak and conceals her gift, as well as attempting to use said
gift to influence his deal with the Green Knight. These are actions that are not in
themselves chivalric, and yet Gawain has such a reputation; a contradiction which
highlights Gawain’s desire is not to be noble or to act with chivalry but to appear to or
be known to do so. In the interactions with Bertilak’s wife, Gawain’s concern and main
issue is not his fear of betraying Bertilak or his knightly code specifically. Instead the
main question he must tackle is “how does he refuse her while still maintaining his
reputation?” (Anderson, p347). Gawain’s actions and words are also reputation-centric
and focused upon how he is perceived and how he will be judged by future generations.
In the 14th Century, the British saw chivalry as a trait which was held in high regard
both in contemporary Britain and in the Arthurian era. Consequentially the Gawain-poet
saw this as a reputation Gawain would most likely pursue, as it was believed such a
status would last through the ages. Therefore Gawain is self-consciously trying to seem
chivalrous, with the knowledge, supplanted by the poet, that such a reputation would
last centuries. Evidently, therefore, Gawain acts as a means to build a reputation to carry
him through history, with the epic’s narrative serving as merely a means by which he
can strengthen his reputation and an example of how he does so.
Gawain’s attempt to construct a positive posthumous reputation is supported by his
seemingly questionable faith. Despite commending Bertilak’s castle to Christ (2067),
and fearing “for his virtue lest he’d fall into sin” (1775), Gawain has not actually
“confessed clearly and told him [a priest] of his sins” (1880) as the narrator suggests. Sir
Israel Gollancz remarked in his footnotes (L1880) that the narrator, or even the poet,
may not have realised the necessity for what Gregory W. Gross terms “sacrilegious”
(p146) action. However; it is clear once considered that Gawain does behave
sacrilegiously to the extent that “he does not tell the priest of his intention to keep the
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green girdle” (Gross 146). Consequentially, such a failure can be interpreted as
evidencing a lack of faith on Gawain’s part; as confessions are voided by the confessor
failing to reveal the full extent of his sins. This lack of faith is key to Sir Gawain and
the Green Knight as it, in part, justifies the interpretation of the epic as a means by
which Gawain can create a posthumous reputation, as it is the reason why he feels he
needs one. Christian interpretation of the afterlife is interpretable in a multitude of ways;
however it is clear in scripture that there exists an after life which is attained through
earthly deeds. Gawain’s motivation does not seem to be to obtain this, as a man of faith
would; which explains and justifies the interpretation that his objective in the narrative
is not to gain favour with God but rather with future generations. He believes the true
afterlife is a life being relived through the telling of tales such as Sir Gawain and the
Green Knight.
In conclusion, the narrative of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is used by the
epic’s main character to construct a reputation. This construction goes beyond the poem
through his continued wearing of the girdle as a “signal he’d been found guilty of fault”
(2488) and is motivated by a lack of Christian faith. Gawain does not believe in, or at
least does not look forward to, eternal life in heaven as a true Christian should. Instead
his life is dominated, and almost ended, by desperation to construct a posthumous
reputation in order to, in his mind, cheat death. This desperation directs the epic to the
extent that the narrative is dictated by Gawain’s quest not for chivalry, though this may
be a by-product, but to seem chivalrous.
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