Bercilak's wife holds Gawain in her power from the moment he sets eyes on her, and the poet notes this effect; she is "the tenderest woman on earth - / Fairer than Guinevere, in Gawain's eyes" (lines 944-945). In his essay, Lawrence Warner states: "Gawain misses what would otherwise be one of the most startling revelations in medieval literature: that the hero's survival at the Green Chapel depends entirely on his behavior in the castle, which he and the poem's readers assume to be a place of respite from danger” (Warner). Since Gawain's fate is determined by what he does when he is in his bedchamber, it is actually Bercilak's wife who has her fate in her hands Green it is alone with Gawain, she intentionally takes control of the situation and manipulates him into kissing her. She tells him that he certainly cannot be the legendary Gawain, "as good as his name" (Line 1297) if he "stayed so long with a lady / And left her without kisses: courtesy cries / Against him!" (1299-1301). In these lines, he cleverly threatens her reputation for courtesy and her good name, while still managing to be polite. Lady Bercilak has the power to be a manipulative woman and puts Gawain in a position where he cannot control himself or the situation. Gawain is known to be strong and honorable, yet Lady Bercilak has the power to strip him of these qualities