Ways Sir Gawain ideal knight or chivalric hero

From his words, he also shows submission because he was willing to lay down his life for the benefit of the king even when he knew that it was a dangerous quest that could claim his life. He proved that he valued the life of the king more than his own. He also shows his modesty by claiming that he is the weakest both physically and mentally amongst all the knights but still wanted a chance to handle the task of beheading the Green Knight. In reality he was one of the most respected knights in the kingdom. Sir Gawain’s character of chivalry is also seen when he does not give in to the temptation of sleeping with the wife of his host Bertilak de Hauntdesert which was all a plan to test his virtues.

When asking for forgiveness he stated that “I confess, knight, in this place, /Most dire is my misdeed; /Let me gain back your good grace, /and thereafter I shall take heed (Norton 251). He concedes his mistakes and even asks permission to leave Bertilak de Hauntdesert’s presence thus showing humility and remorse for his deeds. Being an ideal knight meant that he made mistakes and learned from them because he was still a human being and despite his bravery he still had weaknesses. Even after the Green Knight forgave him, he still looked at himself as a moral failure and requested that he wear the magical green girdle in public as a sign that he sinned and had fallen short of his morals or the standards he had set for himself.

Another way that Sir Gawain shows that he was an ideal knight was when Gawain was on the road to Green Chapel where he was to fight the Green Knight his guide presented him with the final opportunity to abstain from encountering the Green Knight. The author of the poem states that “So uncommonly kind and complaisant was she, /with sweet stolen glances, that stirred his stout heart, /that he was at his wits' end, and wondrous vexed; /But he could not rebuff her, for courtesy forbade (Norton, 236). This, therefore, means that he did not let his temper get the better of him but always ensured that he treated Lady Bertilak with kindness. This shows courage because if it were someone else, they could have let their feeling control them thus dismissing courtesy but Gawain did not.

From the armor that Gawain wore, we can also state that he is a man of honor and truthful. The shield was made of gold pentangle which is described as “proper to that peerless prince”, it has a “token of truth” and that was why he was termed as the “most courteous knight” (Norton 215). He even though Gawain first thinks and blames Lady Bertilak’s and Morgan le Fay he does not act in anger against them because it would go against his moral standards and instead blames himself for his failure thus showing modesty and self-control. Work cited Abrams, M. H. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W. Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The Norton Anthology of English Literature.