Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - The Character of Sir Gawain In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain is cleverly brought to life by the author unknown. Through the eyes of numerous characters in the poem, we see Gawain as a noble knight who is the epitome of chivalry; he is loyal, honest and above all courteous. As the story progresses, Gawain is subjected to a series of tests of character, some known and some unknown. These tests tell us a lot about Gawain's character and the struggles he faces internally. I will explore the various points in the poem where we learn about Gawain, both through others and through the trials he faces. By the end of the poem, we feel that we have come to know Gawain and have dared to peek into his human side. However, we also realize that only perfection is acceptable to him. Our first glimpse of Gawain comes when the Green Knight suddenly appears during Camelot's New Year celebration. He offers a challenge to anyone who steps forward and strikes him with his axe. Twelve months and one day later, he will strike back. No one steps forward to take on the challenge. Embarrassed by his knights' lack of response, King Arthur accepts the challenge himself. At the fateful moment when Arthur is about to strike the blow, Gawain jumps up and says: Would you grant me the grace, to leave this bench and stand beside you, if I could without rudeness leave this table,... I am the weakest , I know well, and the weakest in spirit; and the loss of my life would be the least of all; having you as an uncle is my only praise; my body, if it were not for your blood, is worthless; And for this this madness is not befitting a king, and it is I who asked for it, it should be mine, and if my claim is not honorable, let all this court judge, in sight. Norton, 209 In this first encounter, through Gawain's words, we begin to see him as the noble knight that he is. Gawain skillfully chose his kindest words to free Arthur from this difficult situation and restore the reputation of the knights of the Round Table. We cannot imagine a more courageous action than Gawain offering his life for his king, nor a more polite offer to accept the match. We can gain further clues to Gawain's character from the description of his armor when he sets out to meet the Green Knight a year later. In this passage we learn that on Gawain's shield is a golden pentagram. The author tells us that the pentagram "is that peerless prince's own" because it is a "sign of truth", and he is very true to his word and is a "very courteous knight". (Norton, 215) He goes on to say: The fifth of the five fives followed by this knight were boundless beneficence and brotherly love, mine and mine pure ways, which none could question, and the most precious compassion: these five matchless they were forged and made strong in him, the first of men. Norton, 215-216 We have no reason to disbelieve the author nor his praises of Gawain. Our next opportunity to understand Gawain occurs at Bercilak Castle, where the family is delighted that the holiday guest is Gawain of King Arthur's court. They whisper to each other that Gawain has "ever steadfast courage and pure morals," that he is "the father of good manners," and that his "displays of behavior" will dazzle their eyes. (Norton, 221) Through these words we see that Gawain is generally highly respected for these characteristics; it's not just his fellow knights who think this way. In this castle Gawain is subjected to many tests of character, but he does not realize that he is being tested. Unknown evidence is perhaps the best evidence., 1993.