Late 14th century Middle English alliterative romance Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is
about the adventure of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s Knight of the Round Table. “A Romance
tale combining various Celtic and folk motifs with traditions about King Arthur and his
knights, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight recounts Gawain’s adventures after he accepts a
challenge to play a beheading game with a gigantic green man” (“Sir Gawain” 93). It is a
fascinating tale of romance, action, magic, and betrayal. Although Sir Gawain is the
bravest knight of King Arthur, the way he changes himself throughout the poem and learns
from his own mistakes makes him a hero.
Honor, loyalty, courage, purity, and courtesy are the codes of a knight that displays
chivalry. “A chivalric knight exhibited qualities in five main areas of activity—in
aristocratic company he was expected to be polite, witty, courteous, deferential to ladies
and his superiors, and exemplary in the social graces; in love he was faithful to his lady,
and bound to obey and please her to the best of his abilities; in the world at large he
defended the weak (especially women and the elderly), bore himself with grace and
humility, and upheld the standards of righteousness; in battle he was strong, brave, adept at
the use of weapons, loyal to his lord, and merciful to his foe; and in regard to Christian
morality and institutions he was to defend the interests of the Church against its enemies,
and avoid sin” (Brosamer, 416). This poem is truly story of the test of these codes. Sir
Gawain has a reputation as “this person famed for prowess and purity, /whose noble skills
were sung to the skies, / whose life was the stuff of legend and lore” (Armitage 912-915).
The author also talks about a Pentagram, a figure believed to have mystical powers,
painted in pure gold on his shining scarlet shield. The pentangle represents his
characteristics in five areas are the perfection of his five senses, the dexterity of his five
fingers, his faith in the five wounds of Christ received on the cross, his focus on the five
joys Mary had in his son, and his devotion to five virtues: generosity, fellowship, chastity,
courtesy, and charity. The author mentions in the poem:
First he was deemed flawless in his five senses; and secondly his five fingers were never at
fault; and thirdly his faith was founded in the five wounds Christ received on the cross, as
