Understanding Sir Gawain

Understanding Sir Gawain

Sir Gawain sees memory as many of the people during his time. Memory is what allows people to interpret who is around them and it gives everyone the understanding of who is honorable and who is not. The remembrance of a person gives you the insight of who a person is. What they have done lets you know what kind of person they are. Sir Gawain remembers his history well. He knows that to be an honorable knight he must be remembered as one. To do this he must honor the virtues of his fellow knights. Memory is important to Sir Gawain and for a year he must rely on his memory of the day he cut off the Green Knights head. On page 31, Arthur tells Gawain “Now, Sir, hang up your axe, / which has adequately hewn.” Gawain received the axe when he chopped off the knight’s head. By Gawain displaying his axe, it served as a reminder to him and to others of All Saints Day. The axe triggers Gawain’s memory of the day he cut off the knight’s head and to others it tells the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Then on page 33, Gawain is reminded of his horrible feat he must go on. “While Michaelmas Moon, / Was coming with winter’s wage, / Gawain then thinks full soon, / of the task he must engage”. The passing of seasons and winters arrival is reminding Gawain that soon he will venture out to the Green Chapel.

Sir Gawain makes two verbal agreements, also known as a covenant, one with the Green Knight and another with Bercilak. . When he cut off the knight’s head he took a covenant with the Green Knight saying he will receive the same blow in one year from that day. The other covenant was with Bercilak and his terms for staying at the castle.

Sir Gawain does admit to changing and distorting memory when he admits to the Green Knight about the green girdle. On page 133, Bercilak tells Gawain how he had his wife entice him and persuade him to take the Green Girdle and that’s how he knows about Gawain’s secret. Gawain gets mad and only admits to his lie because he was put on the spot. The green girdle serves as memory; at first it represented a form of protection when he faced the Green Knight and then it becomes a reminder of how he failed at upholding his virtues of knighthood.

Even though he had made a mistake Gawain would admit to his mistakes and would rather revise his memory by taking back his error. He would not try to lie about his history, but he would rather alter his actions. By showing the girdle where ever he goes he shows that he is humbled with his errors and knows it was wrong. Sir Gawain knows the virtues and wants to abide by them. He knows that his actions will be remembered, and by doing great deeds and following his virtues people will remember his name. Gawain knows memory is important so that people will learn from each other’s mistakes and honor those who deserve it. He wants to be remembered as an honorable and good knight. He does his best at following the ways of a virtuous knight and for the most part he is successful, despite a few imperfections in his character that are common to most men. However, memory is not the only thing that serves to motivate Sir Gawain into being a good and loyal subject to the knightly virtues.

Sir Gawain is motivated by righteousness and chivalry; the sign of the pentangle and the image of the Virgin Mary on the two sides of his shield display what motivates Sir Gawain from both a religious perspective and the perspective of a righteous warrior. Sir Gawain is a knight of honor and valor, a knight that will stand up for what he believes in and what is right. He has many motivations that result in him contributing his knightly duties. First of all, Gawain is a knight under the chivalry code, otherwise known as the, “Old Code.” This code is restricted to the institution of medieval knighthood. The Code includes such reputations as justice, loyalty, defense, courage, faith, humility, nobility, and prowess. Prowess, which shows Gawain’s motivation’s the most, is seeking excellence in all endeavors expected of a knight, which Gawain goes out everyday to prove. He is driven physically and emotionally to stand up for his people and for his country. Gawain, being a knight of the round table, has a high reputation and is obliged to do what he can to be one of the greatest knights in the world. It seems as if Gawain is being motivated by the honor and valor he has of being a knight.

"'My lord, said Gawain, lifting the belt, / This band and the nick on my neck are one And the same, the blame and the loss I suffered, / For the cowardice, the greed, that came to my soul. / This sign of bad faith is the mark of my sin: I'll wear it on my waist as long as I live, / For a man may hide an injury to