The Ultimate Knight

Paper Summary:

The character of Gawain in the poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" represents a respective notion of the Medieval ideal warrior, presented with some admiration, however, not completely without criticism. It explains that the poem's hero, Sir Gawain must endeavor numerous tests put upon him to challenge his ethical and Christian principles of chivalry, ultimately revealing his strengths as well as his weakness. It points out that the crucial test for Gawain rested upon his growth of maturity and the reality that knights, even though highly regarded, remain imperfect by nature.

From the Paper:

"During Britain's Revival, Arthurian romance stories flourished. The meaning of Arthurian transpired from the myths of Britain's legendary king, Arthur. Poems and stories written about King Arthur's court emphasized the necessary importance of the knightly code with the epitome of the ideal warrior. The ideal warrior led a life of chivalry, set of customs that attempted to reconcile the virtues of a warrior with the ideologies of Christianity. The ethos of the knightly code emphasized eight essential virtues that the knight must achieve to remain as the ideal warrior. The first expectation of the knight included loyalty, the commitment pledged by the knight to uphold allegiance to his lord and country. The second included courage to withstand the face of danger with confidence. The third was maintaining justice over right and wrong, yet restraining from pity, disdain, and blood-lust revenge. The fourth virtue consisted of prowess to strive for excellence in whatever the knight did in his life. The fifth incorporated faith in his beliefs to guide him away from despair. The six virtue the knight must attain was nobility in his domestic life to seek gentleness and wisdom, giving himself to generosity instead of selfishness, and finally humility to value the contributions of others with no desire to boast the knight's egos."

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• Book Review # 112515 : "Heros and Chivalry in British Literature"

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