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Essay / “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Review
In “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” a knight’s loyalty is tested by a giant green man. The knight in this tale has had many encounters that have distracted him from following the code of chivalry. The knight, Sir Gawain, nephew of the king, could have handled some of his retaliation differently. One incident in history that made it difficult for Sir Gawain to conform to the code of chivalry was his meeting with Bertilak's wife. It began on Christmas Day, when Gawain prayed for a place to hear mass and looked up to see a castle sparkling in the distance. The lord of the castle welcomed Gawain and invited him to stay with him and his lady for a few days. The lord suggested that he go hunting every day while Gawain stayed at the castle. At the end of the day, they will exchange what they have earned. “So lie in your room and laze about as you please while I ride my domain and, as our conditions require, we will exchange our trophies when we return from the hunt” (line 189). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Additionally, during Sir Gawain's time at the castle, his wife kisses Gawain on three different occasions. Gawain, however, resists him and, for the first two days, only accepts kisses, which he gives to the lord at the end of each day in exchange for what the lord has won during the hunt. On the third day, Gawain continues to resist the lady, but she urges him to accept another gift. “For the man who goes into battle in this green lace, as long as he keeps it wrapped around him, no man under Heaven can harm him, whoever tries, for nothing on earth, however strange it may be , cannot kill him” (line 223). -226). And she pressed the girdle on him and begged him to take it, and Gawain did so, and she gave him this gift with great pleasure and begged him, for her sake, not to say a word and to hide it from her lord. And he said he would” (lines 232-235). Additionally, when the lord returns at the end of the third day, Gawain gives him a kiss but does not reveal the gift of the scarf. On New Year's Day, Gawain meets the Green Knight wearing the green scarf. When the Green Knight swung his ax for the third time, although he did not cut off Sir Gawain's head, he cut Sir Gawain's neck until it bled. Also after the third blow, he was revealed to be Bertilak of Hautdesert, Sir Gawain's lord. “This belt that you wear in your sheath belongs to me; My own wife gave it to you, as I should know. I also know your kisses, all your words and my wife's advances, because I arranged them myself. It was I who sent her to test you” (lines 336-340). “But you were lacking a little, sir; you were far from being loyal; but since it was not because of the belt itself nor because of lust but because you loved your life, I resent you less” (lines 344-346). So this is an incident that made it difficult for Sir Gawain to abide by the code of chivalry, although he remained strong and survived..