Sir Gawain and the Green Girdle
The distant effects brought upon by Sir Gawain keeping a Green Gird
le are presented in the poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. There are several accounts where th
e main character, Sir Gawain, fights his inner human nature. Gawain is essentially a knight, and ul
timately a human being that like all human beings, fears death. A green girdle given to him by a lo
rd's lady in the end saves his life. However, Sir Gawain and his chivalric and courageous decision
to wear a "magic" green girdle is the ultimate cause that leads to his near death experience.
In or
der to fully understand the event's that lead up to the girdle, one must know how Sir Gawain comes t
o challenge his own life. The poem begins with a huge festival and New Year's Eve dinner at King Ar
thur's Court in Camelot. Out of nowhere, a wondrous stranger, dressed entirely in green, with a gig
antic ax in one hand, bursts into the hall. While the court stares in stunned silence, the Green Kn
ight demands a challenge. The challenge constitutes one blow of the ax to the Green Knight's head,
in exchange, the volunteer will strike a return blow upon the volunteer in a "twelvemonth and a day.
" Eventually, Arthur agrees to play and begins to carry the ax up when out of nowhere, Gawain speak
s out, "Would you grant me thy grace." The court agrees to let Gawain play. The Green Knight gives
the ax to Sir Gawain, then exposes his neck for the blow. With one quick motion of the ax, the head
rolled off the body, with "blood gush [ing] from the body, bright on the green." The Green Knight'
s body picks up the head, mounts his horse, and charges Sir Gawain; "Sir Gawain, forget not to go as
agreed, and cease not to seek till me, sir...That your neck should have a knock on New Year's morn.
The Knight of the Green Chapel I am well known to many..." The green girdle, which is the eventual
cause of Gawain's near death experience, comes into the story one year later. Gawain travels for w
eeks alone through the cold and treacherous woods of North Wales to find the Green Chapel. After he
prays for shelter, he comes upon a "wondrous castle" on Christmas Eve. The lord and his lady greet
Sir Gawain at the castle door. Sir Gawain investigates and inquires about the Green Chapel. The l
ord answers and assures him that it is nearby, and concludes by providing him with a guide to lead h
im there on New Year's day.
The lord and Sir Gawain agree to exchange whatever prizes they receive
during the next three days. For the first two day's, Sir Gawain keeps his pledge and honesty by ex
changing all that is won, but on the third day, he does exchange the final gift given to him. Sir G
awain does not give the lord the "magic" green girdle that the lady of the castle gives him for prot
ection. The lady promises that the girdle will protect and save him from any harm. Gawain knows h
e has broken his trust with the lord of the castle. He does not exchange the girdle, and even goes
as far as to accept a gift from the lord's lady. Because of Gawain's decision to keep the girdle, a
logical order of events follows.
On the next day, New Year's Day, Gawain sets out for the Green Ch
apel, wearing the green girdle. Refusing his guide's advice, urging him not to go, Gawain proceeds t
o his death with courage, pride and valor knowing what has to be done, has to be done. Gawain deter
mined, as he will ever be wearing the green girdle, proceeds to the Chapel to accept his fate. Given
the certitude that Sir Gawain is going to die at the strike of an ax, he daringly approaches his fa
te at the Green Chapel. The event's that follow is Gawain's ironic challenge of honesty and bravery,
and the consequential effect brought upon by keeping the green girdle. Sir Gawain, terrified from h
earing the sound of a blade being sharpened on a grindstone, resolves his courage and proceeds to ca
ll out for the Green Knight. Gawain is answered, and in time, the Green Knight appears with a huge
"Danish Ax devised for that day's deed." The Green Knight welcomes the knight, and praises him for
maintaining his part of the agreement. The Green Knight tells Sir Gawain to expose his neck.
The fi
rst blow comes off and Gawain flinches, moving at the last moment. The Green Knight stops to yell a
t the cowardly Gawain, "You are not Gawain the glorious..." The terrified Gawain promises not to mov
e on the second time. The second blow stops short, enraging Gawain. On the third and final stroke,
the Green Knight stops the blade at the skin of Gawain's neck, severing the skin. Gawain jumps up,
and explains the terms of the agreement are to only one strike. Sir Gawain's life is sparred, and
all three strikes to the neck are the effects of keeping the girdle. The Green Knight and the lord o
f the castle is essentially one man in body and soul. The lord tells Gawain that he arranged the lad
y to give him the green girdle. Each stroke of the ax is given for each day that the men exchanged
gifts: a total of three days. Gawain is honest on the first two days of exchanges, however, Sir Gaw
ain is not completely honest on the third day. Gawain concealed the green "magic" girdle that was g
iven to Gawain by the lady and wife of the lord. Gawain dread's the day he dies, but he knows he can
not abandon his chivalric duty to uphold the terms of the agreement. In keeping the green girdle, Ga
wain goes against his code of honesty, courage, and faith. The lord knows the whole time that Sir Ga
wain is only dishonest because his failure is stemming understandably from his love of life; Gawain'
s love of life is the supreme effect of keeping the girdle. The lord observes the results and is con
vinced Gawain is the finest man alive.
Sir Gawain takes the challenge because his sense of chivalri
c duty leads him to. Death is something that no one can accept, and Gawain find's it in himself to
face death the one thing everyone fears the most. The green girdle is one of the few items he brave
ly takes with him to accept his fate at the death chapel, and it is the one possession that saves hi
s life. The cause of his near death and Gawain's redeemed life is his choice to keep the Green Gird
le. The effect of keeping the girdle is the true test of honesty, bravery, and courage, that in the
end, makes him a "pearl, as pure and as bright as you had lived free of fault since first you [Gawa
in] were born."
gawain green girdle distant effects brought upon gawain keeping green girdle presen
ted poem gawain green knight there several accounts where main character fights inner human nature e
ssentially knight ultimately human being that like human beings fears death girdle given lord lady s
aves life however chivalric courageous decision wear magic ultimate cause that leads near death expe
rience order fully understand event that lead must know comes challenge life poem begins with huge f
estival year dinner king arthur court camelot nowhere wondrous stranger dressed entirely with gigant
ic hand bursts into hall while court stares stunned silence knight demands challenge challenge const
itutes blow head exchange volunteer will strike return blow upon volunteer twelvemonth eventually ar
thur agrees play begins carry when nowhere speaks would grant grace court agrees play gives then exp
oses neck blow with quick motion head rolled body blood gush from body bright body picks head mounts
horse charges forget agreed cease seek till your neck should have knock year morn chapel well known
many which eventual cause near death experience comes into story year later travels weeks alone thr
ough cold treacherous woods north wales find chapel after prays shelter comes upon wondrous castle c
hristmas lord lady greet castle door investigates inquires about chapel lord answers assures nearby
concludes providing guide lead there agree exchange whatever prizes they receive during next three d
ays first keeps pledge honesty exchanging third does exchange final gift given does give magic lady
castle gives protection promises will protect save from harm knows broken trust does even goes accep
t gift from because decision keep logical order events follows next sets wearing refusing guide advi
ce urging proceeds courage pride valor knowing what done done determined will ever wearing proceeds
accept fate given certitude going strike daringly approaches fate event follow ironic honesty braver
y consequential effect brought keeping terrified hearing sound blade being sharpened grindstone reso
lves courage proceeds call answered time appears huge danish devised deed welcomes praises maintaini
ng part agreement tells expose neck first flinches moving last moment stops yell cowardly glorious t
errified promises move second time second stops short enraging third final stroke stops blade skin s
evering skin jumps explains terms agreement only strike life sparred three strikes effects keeping e
ssentially soul tells arranged give each stroke each exchanged gifts total three days honest first d
ays exchanges however completely honest third concealed magic wife dread dies knows cannot abandon c
hivalric duty uphold terms agreement goes against code honesty courage faith knows whole time only d
ishonest because failure stemming understandably love love supreme effect observes results convinced
finest alive takes because sense chivalric duty leads something accept find himself face thing ever
yone fears most items bravely takes fate possession saves cause near redeemed choice keep effect tru
e test bravery makes pearl pure bright lived free fault since were bornEssay, essays, termpaper, ter
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