Gawain

From the first time I read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I have been troubled by the question of whether Sir Gawain was right or wrong in lying in order to keep the girdle and save his life. He was torn between the preciousness of his own life, and the sanctity of chivalry and its codes. He was forced to ask himself what he valued more: his reputation or his life? Many scholars have struggled with this question for centuries, as well as the questions of how guilty he really felt for his actions, and what the poet is trying to tell the reader through Gawain's ordeal.

There is another side to the question about Sir Gawain's decision to use the green girdle. While honesty should be highly valued, it may be unwise to undervalue life itself. In almost every culture, as well as Sir Gawain’s, death is recognized "as a terrifying thing which men and animals alike try to escape by every device in their power, regardless of dignity or duty" (Burrow, "The Third Fit" 37). It may be even more difficult to place an overriding significance on the value of honesty in light of life's alternative. "...images of death permeate the medieval world" (Clein, 55). A modern reader of Sir Gawain

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Black Prince, Romance Arthur, Wendy Clein, Summa Theologiae, Sir Gawain's, England Clein, Sir Gawain, Round Table, Middle Ages, John Burrow, sir gawain, gawain green, green knight, gawain green knight, sir gawain green, spiritual world, romance arthur, fourteenth century, warrior code, concepts chivalry sir, root sin, black prince, death warrior, chivalry sir gawain, oxford clarendon press,
Approximate Word count = 2379
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)