Sir Gawain - The Noble Knight :: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain - The Noble Knight Sir Gawain is a nephew of King Arthur and the brother of Sir Gaheris and Sir Gareth. In the poem he is described by the author as "the good knight" and "most courteous" (1. 109,639). His character is shown through supernatural tests when he steps in for King Arthur and takes the challenge of the Green Knight on himself. Then his second test in the poem is to withstand the lust of the Green Knight's wife. Both of these challenges Sir Gawain passes, and gains more respect and honor than he had before. The tasks that he accomplishes prove once more the true Gawain and help the reader to understand his character more clearly. Sir Gawain is a hero in the poem, and as always, heroes have to overcome all their foes and many dangers. The same heroism and presence of supernatural forces are also found in Beowulf. Beowulf fights with dangerous enemies and creatures all around him. On his way to the Green Knight's chapel, Sir Gawain encounters many wonders and monstrous foes: "So many were the wonders he wandered among ... Now with serpents he wars, now with savage wolves ... And giants that came gibbering from the jagged steeps ... He had met with many mishaps and mortal harms" ( 2.718-725). As we see the author shows his character as a mighty warrior, maybe even with supernatural power. Yet it is not clear how he could fight with giants and was afraid at the first sight of the Green Knight. As author describes the Green Knight, "Half a giant on earth I hold him to be..." (1.140). If he is half a giant and later we see that Sir Gawain is fighting with giants, it is not clear here why everyone in Camelot at first is afraid of the Green Knight. Sir Gawain appears, as a real hero and a noble knight, almost from the very beginning of the poem when he is accepting the challenge of the Green Knight. No one is brave enough to accept the beheading game proposed by the Green Knight, and if no one of the knights will accept the challenge, then king Arthur has to accept it, so that he and his knights will not be regarded as cowards. Sir Gawain, as a noble knight who truly serves his king, takes the challenge upon himself when he says to the Arthur, " Would you grant me the grace"